Aquamarine Posted July 10, 2019 Posted July 10, 2019 Warwick University's vice chancellor has apologised for the way it responded to complaints from female students targeted with rape threats. Stuart Croft admitted personal and institutional failings, saying there must be "profound changes" to the way the university deals with complaints. An independent review has found a "legacy of mistrust" generated by its handling of the case. Two women are suing the university for discrimination and negligence. One of the women - who was subsequently forced to sit an exam alongside one of the men disciplined in the case - says even though Warwick has apologised, it still has not learned from the case. In an interview with the BBC, Mr Croft said: "We are genuinely sorry. We have got this wrong. We have not supported them enough. We have not communicated enough." He also apologised for not speaking to the victims directly, saying: "I should have been quicker. I should have reached out. I should have engaged." Last year, Warwick launched an investigation into a Facebook chat in which male students sent each other sexually violent messages about fellow female students. Some of the messages were racist. Others referred to graphic descriptions of gang rape and genital mutilation. Many of the women targeted in the chat were close friends of the men who sent the messages. After being shown the messages by one of the men, two female students mentioned in the chat made official complaints to the university, which launched an inquiry, led by its chief press officer. Following the inquiry's report six men were given campus bans ranging from one year to life. However two of the men's 10-year bans were reduced to one year after they appealed to the university.
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