Following on from yesterday’s shocking news about a bullying incident at St Paul’s College, we have more insight into the disturbing situation that has unfolded. The prestigious Sydney university college has been rocked by revelations of a mock trial gone horribly wrong, resulting in the expulsion of six students and the suspension of 21 others.
The incident involved a mock trial last Monday that spiralled out of control, leaving the university community reeling. According to reports from 2GB’s Ben Fordham, what began as a seemingly lighthearted event took a dark turn when a student was allegedly gagged with a sex toy.
The mock trial, orchestrated by a group of students who appointed themselves as judge, defence attorneys, and prosecutors, found the “defendant” guilty.
In a disturbing twist, the fake judge reportedly ordered others to gag the student when they attempted to speak. It was at this point that someone allegedly brought out a sex toy-style gag and forced it into the student’s mouth. Sydney Morning Herald reported that students then stood around “verbally abusing” the victim, until they eventually left the room to go on with their day.
St Paul’s College was alerted to the situation after a student complained and security vision was then obtained to identify which students had entered the room. The Nightly reported that three of the students involved were part of the college’s student leadership team. One has been expelled, while the two others have been suspended.
Dr Ed Loane, the warden of St Paul’s College, expressed his shock and disappointment at the students’ actions, stating that the behaviour runs “contrary to our values and standards”. The college’s response included expelling the main perpetrators and suspending those who failed to intervene.
St Paul’s College has been in previous scandals involving bullying, sexism, harassment and binge drinking. A 2018 report from the former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick found that students had forced people to eat sheep’s hearts during initiations and had an Orientation Week tradition of taking girls to a “bone room” lined with mattresses.
St Paul’s who went co-educational just last year, promised to act on the recommendations made by the report.
“We will review and strengthen this training, and we will continue to ensure we are doing everything we can to provide a safe and respectful community,” Loane said to SMH.
The University of Sydney has thrown its support behind the disciplinary actions taken by St Paul’s College. In a statement, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), Professor Joanne Wright shared that the university will be “engaging with the College to understand the additional steps they are taking to manage this issue,” per student newspaper Honi Soit.
However, questions remain about the effectiveness of current anti-bullying measures and the need for more comprehensive training programs for new residents.
“College culture is and always has been deeply misogynistic and violent, with the documented evidence of rape, hazing, abuse, and an unsolved murder on college grounds speaking for itself,” said Sydney University SRC Womens Officers to Honi Soit.
The group currently has a petition to abolish the colleges that they wish to send to State Parliament.
“We will not stop demanding change until the colleges are abolished and students have access to genuinely safe and affordable housing.”
While NSW Police are aware of the media reports, no formal complaints have been lodged by the school, witnesses, or victims at the time of writing.
Lead image: St Paul’s College
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