A Glasgow mum, who set up a charity following the loss of her daughter, hopes more institutions across Scotland join the battle against gender based violence (GBV).
Fiona Drouet's daughter, Emily, took her own life in 2016 in her room on the Aberdeen University campus following an onslaught of abuse from her then boyfriend Angus Milligan.
The loving mum set up EmilyTest in her daughter's name, which is a charter that ensures no other student ends up in Emily's shoes.
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The charter was launched in 2021 and acts as a flexible framework to help institutions start or improve their work in tackling GBV. The goal is to set both minimum standards and excellence in preventing GBV, responding when it happens, and providing support to everyone it affects.
The EmilyTest is believed the first of its kind in the world.
A total of 10 institutions have signed up, including Strathclyde University, Glasgow Clyde College and City of Glasgow college, but there is still progress to be made.
Fiona told Glasgow Live: "We've seen great change across the sector but particularly, and mainly, with the institutions we're working with on the charter. However, we've not got everyone on board and there is still that fear of opening the door and allowing themselves to be scrutinised and vulnerable.
"We do receive a lot of support from the Scottish Government. Ministerial support encouraging institutions to engage with the programme.
"We are continuing to push forward and refine it and ensure that it's the best it possibly can be. We are making sure that campuses are safe for students and staff."
The work is constantly being updated and revised to make sure that the training provided will allow staff to deal with reports of GBV in the best way possible.
Fiona believes the EmilyTest service could save lives.
She explained: "The charter is a set of minimum standards in prevention, intervention and support.
"So we are looking at the training of staff and raising awareness. Making sure they know how to respond safely to any disclosures of gender based violence.
"We make sure that they know how to escalate those cases. One project we have is called LISTEN and it's a risk assessment for the people who would be first to respond in these situations.
"LISTEN is a mnemonic: L is for listen; I is for I believe you, making sure they are validated; S is for scared, we are trying to build a picture of what's happening to them; T is threatened because we know that can be part of coercive control; E is end life, we need to ask if they are having suicidal thoughts; N is next steps, we are making sure that what happened to Emily, being sent to her room alone, doesn't happen to any other student.
"It's not good enough to say you offer training, it needs to be effective."
In 2023 the charity is hoping to shift some of their focus onto what happens after a case is reported. EmilyTest is aiming to ensure that a university's enquiry into an incident of GBV does not put victims at risk
The charity founder said: "We are going to be looking at the investigative processes within institutions.
"We know they need a lot of work so we are looking to do some research in that regard and then look at some outputs that can ensure consistency and quality across the sector.
"Make sure we are not traumatising any of the victims or the survivors and that they get the outcome they deserve. We have stickers that have been distributed through all university and college campuses to point towards support.
"These were created because when we finally got into Emily's room the worst thing for us was the blank walls. Knowing that's where she died and there was no signposting to support at all."
One recent case that has caught the eye of Fiona is that of Ellie Wilson.
Ellie was attacked by fellow Glasgow University student Daniel McFarlane between December 2017 and February 2018. The mum believes there are a lot of parallels between her daughter's case and Ellies.
Fiona said: "When I see cases like Ellie's it breaks my heart because I know these things can be avoided.
"I don't think victims and survivors should continually have to drive this change forward, universities need to take a responsible approach.
"We are never standing still and we want to make sure university is a safe space because that is what every student deserves. In Ellie's case it made me feel sad but it also highlighted the need for wider sector discussions and it confirms that so much more needs to be done."
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