What is Murdoch doing to address sexual harm?
Murdoch University takes sexual assault and sexual harassment seriously. The University has established a Vice Chancellor’s Advisory Group to implement a number of initiatives to protect and support our students and staff.
The University has already implemented a number of these, including:
- Confidential disclosure of incidents by students or staff via an online form, or through the Murdoch Safe app, to appropriately trained staff who can provide support and help you create a formal report if you wish to do so.
- Publishing our 2021-2024 Sexual Harm Prevention and Response Report
- Specialised education to assist staff in effectively responding to disclosure of sexual harm incidents, including the processes and procedures around disclosure, reporting and outcomes.
- Improvement of CCTV coverage and lighting.
- Information for students and staff about what to do if you or someone you know who has experienced an incident of sexual harm.
- Bystander training available to staff and students to help them effectively intervene in incidents of harassment and discrimination.
- Incidental Counsellor training and an eLearning module to assist staff to respond to disclosures and support students in distress.
- Mandatory consent training for students living in campus accommodation.
- A new Sexual Harm Policy, developed and supported through procedures relevant to Australian and transnational campus locations. The policy and procedures are trauma informed and draw on best practice.
How to disclose sexual harm
The University provides support and care for all students and staff affected by sexual harm. Murdoch offers confidential wellbeing services to help you with the physical, psychological and emotional impact of the incident. In addition, our Sexual Harm Support Officers (SHSO) are able to help you access specialist services, make a report and understand University processes.
Remember – the sexual harm you have experienced was not your fault. Staff at Murdoch University will always support and listen non-judgmentally to you.
Disclosing sexual harm to Murdoch University
Members of the University community who have experienced sexual harm are encouraged, when they feel ready, to make a disclosure to an SHSO in the Access, Wellbeing and Equity (AWE) team. Disclosures can be made online via incident notification form or via the Murdoch Safe App. Further information is available here.
All disclosures of sexual harm may be made anonymously, if you wish to do so. However, the University may be limited in how it can respond if information is de-identified. The more detail you provide the more we will be able to investigate and offer the appropriate follow up.
If you provide your contact details, an SHSO will respond by close of the next working day. The SHSO will provide you with information about support services available and outline the options available, including an option to report to the University or the police. A disclosure will be kept confidential unless there is a serious risk of harm to the University community.
You are able to have a support person throughout any stage of the disclosure, report or investigation process. The Murdoch Guild is able to advocate on your behalf. This includes alleged perpetrators and people who have experienced sexual harm.
Making a formal report to the University
If you wish to make a formal report, you are asking the University to investigate an allegation of sexual harm. Your formal report will be reviewed by the University’s Sexual Harm Response Panel (SHRP), following the University’s Sexual Harm Procedure, depending upon the nature of the incident and your request.
Once you have indicated you want to make a report, an SHSO will ask you to provide the minimum amount of information necessary to undertake a procedurally fair investigation. They will work with you to create the report and formally submit it to the University, which you will approve beforehand. To the greatest extent possible, the University keeps a disclosure or report confidential. Please refer to the disclosure flow chart below.
When making a formal report, a number of factors will influence how long the process will take. Every effort will be made to minimise the time taken to respond to a report and finalise and outcome, as soon as practicable.
All staff involved in the report and investigation will wherever possible, meet the pace set by the person who experienced sexual harm.
Potential outcomes from making a report
Every report to the University will be investigated to see how we can make the University a safer place and if there is anything that can be done to prevent further incidents occurring.
The outcomes from reporting will be limited to the area of authority that the University has control over. These are outlined in the University's Sexual Harm Policy. Whilst the University will do everything they can to support you, there may be instances where they are unable to take direct action against the offender without legal processes in place, such as police reports and/or restraining orders.
Reporting the incident may also assist the University in making other changes to help provide a safer campus and community for you and others in the future.
Making a police report
Murdoch University will support you to make a report to WA Police for any criminal matter. In instances where the University and police can work together it will enable us to support you more effectively and respond to any processes (such as use of restraining orders) that the police may assist you in putting in place.
You can report an incident by calling WA Police on 131 444 or the Sexual Assault Squad on +61 8 9428 1600.
If you are unsure about making a police report you can speak confidentially with someone from the University Counselling service or the Sexual Assault and Resource Centre (SARC).
SARC is a free service that offers medical, forensic and counselling services. Their counsellors can help you decide if you want to make a police report and support you through the process.
