St Andrews Uni is supporting a student who says Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted her

The University of St Andrews has released a statement about their student who accused the famous fantasy author Neil Gaiman of sexually assaulting her.

A spokesperson for the uni told The Courier: “We applaud the courage of all survivors of sexual abuse, and especially those who have felt able to speak out about it.

“Our priority is the welfare of our student, to whom we are providing support and counselling. We will continue to monitor this case with concern and close interest.”

Scarlett Pavlovich, an English literature student at the University of St Andrews, is one of eight women who have publicly accused Neil Gaiman of sexual assault.

Neil Gaiman has denied ever sexually assaulting anyone in a blog post on 15th January. He wrote, “I was obviously careless with people’s hearts” but said “I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone”.

Neil Gaiman at a Comic Con panel for Good Omens
(Image by Rhododendrites via Creative Commons)

Scarlett Pavolich accused Neil Gaiman of sexually assaulting her while she worked as his nanny.

She described these encounters in detail on the Tortoise Media podcast “Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman“. Scarlett began working odd jobs for Neil Gaiman’s wife Amanda Palmer. Scarlett was 22. She was estranged from her parents and didn’t have much money. Amanda Palmer suggested Scarlett should babysit her son with Neil Gaiman.

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Scarlett says that within a few hours of meeting Neil Gaiman in February 2022, he suggested she had a bath in a tub in his garden. She claims Neil Gaiman then got in the bath and sexually harassed her. Scarlett says this “wasn’t consensual”. She referred to herself as an “unabashed lesbian” who “had never had sex”. Neil Gaiman says the encounter was consensual.

The author apparently told her, “I’m your master. Call me master and I’ll come.”

Scarlett told New York magazine that Gaiman once raped her while she was cleaning a kitchen for him. Another time, he allegedly assaulted her under a blanket while his son played on an iPad in the same hotel room.

Scarlett claims Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted her several times, and she “ended up in hospital, suicidal”.

Neil Gaiman has denied sexually assaulting Scarlett or any other woman. He wrote on his website, “I was emotionally unavailable while being sexually available, self-focused and not as thoughtful as I could or should have been.”

Scarlett filed a police report in New Zealand in 2023, but the officers dropped that investigation.

The University of St Andrews gave Neil Gaiman an honorary doctorate of literature in 2016. Scarlett Pavolich asked the vice-chancellor of the University of St Andrews, Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, to take away the doctorate. St Andrews Uni hasn’t reached a decision about this yet.

Featured image of Neil Gaiman by nrkbeta via Creative Commons. Featured image of the University of St Andrews by Oliverkeenan via Creative Commons.