Dear Kate,

 

I refer to your request of 25 March 2022.

 

“We wish to know the number of experiences of sexual violence and rape
that have been reported to the University (including whether or not these
have been passed on to New Zealand Police, and/or resulted in conviction)
during the years 2022 and 2021. We would like this to be broken up by
instances occurring within University Halls of Residence, and instances
elsewhere.”

Students and staff at the University of Auckland have a number of options
if they choose to disclose or report harmful sexual behaviour. They have
the right to decide which of the below reporting options they wish to
follow, if any.    

 1. Make a disclosure – tell the university about the incident to keep a
record of but not take any formal action.
 2. Make a complaint – make a formal or informal complaint about harmful
sexual behaviour. 
 3. Make a report on behalf of someone – if someone receives a disclosure
of sexual harm they can report on behalf of someone, provided they
have their consent.  
 4. Make a police report – reporting to the University and reporting to
the Police are two separate processes. If a student/staff member
reports to the Police they can still report to the University. 

The University advises students and staff members of their options in
relation to disclosing/reporting harmful sexual behaviour. Where a student
or staff member makes a complaint to the University about harmful sexual
behaviour, the University does not pass that complaint on to the Police or
make a complaint to the Police on the student or staff member’s behalf –
it is the right of the student or staff member concerned to decide whether
to make a Police report.  The University is not necessarily advised if a
student makes a Police report or the result of any Police action following
a police report. Accordingly, the information requested about the numbers
of reports of sexual violence made to the University in 2022 where the
incident was also the subject of a Police report that resulted in a
criminal conviction is not held by the University; this constitutes a
refusal of this part of your request under section 18(g) of the OIA.

 

See the University’s website here for more information on reporting
harmful sexual behaviour:
[1]https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/s...

 

The consultations required to respond to your request for the number of
sexual violence allegations reported to the University in 2021 and 2022,
broken down by whether they were alleged to have occurred in University
Halls of Residence or elsewhere, cannot reasonably be made within the
original time limit. Accordingly, the University has extended the time
limit for this part of your request until 25 May 2022 under section
15A(1)(b) of the Official Information Act. You have the right to make a
complaint to an Ombudsman if you are dissatisfied with this extension.

 

“We also wish to know the number of students who appeared before the
Discipline Committee for sexual harm, harassment, or rape cases in 2022
and 2021, as well as the number of these cases which ended in a student
being given a ban or suspension from the University.”

 

2021 harassment/sexual harassment cases heard by Discipline Committee: 3

2021 harassment/sexual harassment cases heard by Discipline Committee
resulting in suspension/expulsion: 3

1.01.2022-26.04.2022 harassment/sexual harassment cases heard by
Discipline Committee: 1

 

The requested information about whether the harassment/sexual harassment
case heard by the Discipline Committee in 2022 resulted in
suspension/expulsion is withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the OIA to
protect the privacy of the person to whom it relates.

 

“Please include the amount of money the university spent in providing
these services in 2022 and 2021.”

 

The University does not have a figure for expenditure specifically on
services related to reports or disclosures of harmful sexual behaviour.
This part of your request is refused under section 18(g) of the OIA.

 

You have the right to make a complaint to an Ombudsman if you are
dissatisfied with this response.

 

Yours sincerely,

Rebecca Ewert

General Counsel

University of Auckland

 

From: Thursdays in Black UoA
<[2][FOI #18965 email]>
Sent: Friday, 25 March 2022 6:58 AM
To: legal <[3][University of Auckland request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Information on incidents of sexual
violence brought before the University during 2021 and 2022

 

Dear University of Auckland,

We wish to know the number of experiences of sexual violence and rape that
have been reported to the University (including whether or not these have
been passed on to New Zealand Police, and/or resulted in conviction)
during the years 2022 and 2021. We would like this to be broken up by
instances occurring within University Halls of Residence, and instances
elsewhere.

We also wish to know the number of students who appeared before the
Discipline Committee for sexual harm, harassment, or rape cases in 2022
and 2021, as well as the number of these cases which ended in a student
being given a ban or suspension from the University.

Please include the amount of money the university spent in providing these
services in 2022 and 2021.

We also wish that the names of those involved are not included in order to
protect anonymity.

Yours faithfully,

Kate Falloon – Thursdays in Black UoA

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[4][FOI #18965 email]

Is [5][University of Auckland request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to University of Auckland? If so, please contact us using this
form:
[6]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[7]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/s...
2. mailto:[FOI #18965 email]
3. mailto:[University of Auckland request email]
4. mailto:[FOI #18965 email]
5. mailto:[University of Auckland request email]
6. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
7. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

Dear Kate,

 

This email is further to my response of 27 April 2022, below. The
information requested about the number of sexual violence allegations
reported to the University in 2021 and 2022, broken down by whether they
were alleged to have occurred in University Halls of Residence or
elsewhere is provided below. As stated in my email of 27 April, “report”
encompasses disclosures which do not result in a complaint as well as
complaints.

 

2021:

11 sexual violence allegations reported to the University of Auckland,
including 4 in Halls of Residence.

2022 (1 Jan 2022 – 25 March 2022):

2 sexual violence allegations reported to the University of Auckland,
including 1 in Halls of Residence.

 

Yours sincerely,

Rebecca Ewert

General Counsel

University of Auckland

 

From: Rebecca Ewert <[1][email address]>
Sent: Wednesday, 27 April 2022 2:51 pm
To: '[FOI #18965 email]'
<[2][FOI #18965 email]>
Subject: FW: 2022-OIA-0059-Falloon_2 FW: Official Information request -
Information on incidents of sexual violence brought before the University
during 2021 and 2022

 

Dear Kate,

 

I refer to your request of 25 March 2022.

 

“We wish to know the number of experiences of sexual violence and rape
that have been reported to the University (including whether or not these
have been passed on to New Zealand Police, and/or resulted in conviction)
during the years 2022 and 2021. We would like this to be broken up by
instances occurring within University Halls of Residence, and instances
elsewhere.”

Students and staff at the University of Auckland have a number of options
if they choose to disclose or report harmful sexual behaviour. They have
the right to decide which of the below reporting options they wish to
follow, if any.   

 1. Make a disclosure – tell the university about the incident to keep a
record of but not take any formal action.
 2. Make a complaint – make a formal or informal complaint about harmful
sexual behaviour.
 3. Make a report on behalf of someone – if someone receives a disclosure
of sexual harm they can report on behalf of someone, provided they
have their consent. 
 4. Make a police report – reporting to the University and reporting to
the Police are two separate processes. If a student/staff member
reports to the Police they can still report to the University. 

The University advises students and staff members of their options in
relation to disclosing/reporting harmful sexual behaviour. Where a student
or staff member makes a complaint to the University about harmful sexual
behaviour, the University does not pass that complaint on to the Police or
make a complaint to the Police on the student or staff member’s behalf –
it is the right of the student or staff member concerned to decide whether
to make a Police report. The University is not necessarily advised if a
student makes a Police report or the result of any Police action following
a police report. Accordingly, the information requested about the numbers
of reports of sexual violence made to the University in 2022 where the
incident was also the subject of a Police report that resulted in a
criminal conviction is not held by the University; this constitutes a
refusal of this part of your request under section 18(g) of the OIA.

 

See the University’s website here for more information on reporting
harmful sexual behaviour:
[3]https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/s...

 

The consultations required to respond to your request for the number of
sexual violence allegations reported to the University in 2021 and 2022,
broken down by whether they were alleged to have occurred in University
Halls of Residence or elsewhere, cannot reasonably be made within the
original time limit. Accordingly, the University has extended the time
limit for this part of your request until 25 May 2022 under section
15A(1)(b) of the Official Information Act. You have the right to make a
complaint to an Ombudsman if you are dissatisfied with this extension.

 

“We also wish to know the number of students who appeared before the
Discipline Committee for sexual harm, harassment, or rape cases in 2022
and 2021, as well as the number of these cases which ended in a student
being given a ban or suspension from the University.”

 

2021 harassment/sexual harassment cases heard by Discipline Committee: 3

2021 harassment/sexual harassment cases heard by Discipline Committee
resulting in suspension/expulsion: 3

1.01.2022-26.04.2022 harassment/sexual harassment cases heard by
Discipline Committee: 1

 

The requested information about whether the harassment/sexual harassment
case heard by the Discipline Committee in 2022 resulted in
suspension/expulsion is withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the OIA to
protect the privacy of the person to whom it relates.

 

“Please include the amount of money the university spent in providing
these services in 2022 and 2021.”

 

The University does not have a figure for expenditure specifically on
services related to reports or disclosures of harmful sexual behaviour.
This part of your request is refused under section 18(g) of the OIA.

 

You have the right to make a complaint to an Ombudsman if you are
dissatisfied with this response.

 

Yours sincerely,

Rebecca Ewert

General Counsel

University of Auckland

 

From: Thursdays in Black UoA
<[4][FOI #18965 email]>
Sent: Friday, 25 March 2022 6:58 AM
To: legal <[5][University of Auckland request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Information on incidents of sexual
violence brought before the University during 2021 and 2022

 

Dear University of Auckland,

We wish to know the number of experiences of sexual violence and rape that
have been reported to the University (including whether or not these have
been passed on to New Zealand Police, and/or resulted in conviction)
during the years 2022 and 2021. We would like this to be broken up by
instances occurring within University Halls of Residence, and instances
elsewhere.

We also wish to know the number of students who appeared before the
Discipline Committee for sexual harm, harassment, or rape cases in 2022
and 2021, as well as the number of these cases which ended in a student
being given a ban or suspension from the University.

Please include the amount of money the university spent in providing these
services in 2022 and 2021.

We also wish that the names of those involved are not included in order to
protect anonymity.

Yours faithfully,

Kate Falloon – Thursdays in Black UoA

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[6][FOI #18965 email]

Is [7][University of Auckland request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to University of Auckland? If so, please contact us using this
form:
[8]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[9]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[FOI #18965 email]
3. https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/s...
4. mailto:[FOI #18965 email]
5. mailto:[University of Auckland request email]
6. mailto:[FOI #18965 email]
7. mailto:[University of Auckland request email]
8. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
9. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers