Cardiff University has launched an anonymous system for students to report sexual and violent abuse

Students are now able to report incidents of sexual or violent assault anonymously to Cardiff University’s Disclosure Response Team.

Launched in October 2017, the project aims to assist and offer support to students who have previously been victims of violence or assault.

Those who choose to report their experiences anonymously will not receive physical help, but their incident will be recorded by the University to help better understand trends and patterns of sexual and violent activity on campus.

In 2017, 1790 violent and sexual assaults were reported to South Wales Police in the Cathays area, so one of the aims of the new University anonymous disclosure system, the first of its kind in the UK, is to welcome and encourage students specifically to tell their stories without fear of identification.

In the past students have been able to discuss their experiences with academic staff, counselors and well being services, but students believe an anonymous function would enable even more people to speak up.

Second Year English Literature Student, Rachel Nurse, told The Tab Cardiff: “The system is a brilliant idea. Many students are uncertain where to turn to when they’re affected by sexual assault. I feel this is one of the many ways to deal with sexual assault.”

Since introducing the Disclosure Response Team, 24 reports have been sent to the University, contrasting to the five a year once reported under previous confidential systems.

Further information and access to the Online Disclosure form can be found on the Cardiff University website.