by Roxanne Joseph | Sep 26, 2014 | News
Wits vice chancellor (VC) Prof Adam Habib has said the university will cooperate with the police investigation into an alleged rape of a student by a fellow student.
A 22-year-old female Witsie has accused a male student of date rape, after she found herself in his bed, unable to remember what had happened to her.
She woke up on Monday morning, after having drinks with him the night before and, according to reports, found condoms on the floor of his room.
The 30-year-old student suspect did not deny having sex with the woman when she asked him what had happened. According to police, the two were out at a local bar together when the complainant started to feel dizzy.
“The criminal investigation will take its own course, with the University cooperating fully,” Habib said, in a statement released by the Wits Sexual Harassment Office (SHO).
Jackie Dugard of the SHO told Wits Vuvuzela she has not yet met with the complainant, but has spoken to her over the phone.
“We have offered the complainant counselling and will see how further to proceed after a more in-depth conversation,” she said.
The accused student appeared in court on Thursday and his case has been postponed. According to Dugard, “… the university regards him as innocent until proven guilty.”
The university said that the incident, which happened off campus, was reported directly to the police by the complainant.
This case is the third of its kind at Wits this year. Earlier in the year a Wits student was raped off campus by two men who were not affiliated with the university and at the beginning of last month, a student was allegedly raped in her university residence.
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Wits Vuvuzela: ‘I don’t remember being raped’, September 19, 2014
Wits Vuvuzela: Wits student allegedly raped in university residence, August 12, 2014
Wits Vuvuzela: Wits student raped off campus, April 11, 2014
by Palesa Tshandu | Aug 12, 2014 | News
UPDATE:
Director of Campus Housing and Residence Life Rob Sharman has confirmed via email to Wits Vuvuzela that the attack took place at a student residence off campus.
According to Sharman, the student reported the matter to staff at her residence and was immediately provided with support, including immediate transport to Milpark Hospital.
The matter was then referred to the Sexual Harassment Office at 08:00 the following morning. The student is being provided appropriate counselling and support.
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ORIGINAL STORY: PUBLISHED AUGUST 11, 2014 at 18:45 pm
A female Wits student was allegedly “overpowered” and raped in her residence by a male student last week, the Wits Sexual Harassment Office (SHO), has said.
“We note with concern allegations that the male student overpowered the female student despite her clear non-consent to sexual intercourse”, said Sexual Harassment Office director Jackie Dugard.
Dugard could not confirm the details of the case as it is still under investigation and necessary measures are being taken to ensure the students’ confidentiality.
Crime and Prevention and Liaison Manager at Wits Campus Control, Mashudu Lucky Khumela, confirms the female student had approached one of the security officers on campus and asked about the steps a person should take in case they were raped.
“We note with concern allegations that the male student overpowered the female student despite her clear non-consent to sexual intercourse”
“It was only when the female student started crying that they knew that it was her [who was attacked],” said Khumela.
It could not be confirmed whether the female and male student knew each other before the alleged attack. Durgard said her office “haven’t yet spoken to all the parties.”
Dugard would not disclose which residence the attack took place due to concerns over the privacy of the female student.
Sunnyside res house committee member Nonjy Malunga said that there were steps being taken at her residence concerning visitation hours.
Malunga said that signing in time for visitors is usually between 9am to 11pm during the week, and on weekends the curfew is extended to 12pm. “When signing in visitors leave identification and if they don’t have they are not permitted inside”.
The allegations follow another case reported last term involving a student who was raped off campus, by two men not affiliated with the university.
The Sexual Harassment Office is located on the 6th floor of University Corner and can be contacted on (011) 717 9790.
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by Roxanne Joseph | Jul 15, 2014 | News
Despite the dismissal and resignation of four staff members from Wits University over various issues of sexual harassment last year, the Wits sexual harassment office (SHO) continues to deal with a range of complaints.
“We don’t expect complaints to just go away overnight,” says SHO director Jackie Dugard, who confirmed that her team are currently dealing with 25 complaints in total, including a case of rape.
“We suspected that there might be quite a few complaints coming through in the wake of the dust that was unsettled during last year’s processes.”
The 25 complaints mostly involve the student-on-student category, followed by incidences of sexism among male staff members towards female staff members.
Some complaints, says Dugard, even relate to student relationships with their husbands or partners.
Professor Jackie Dugard is the director of the Sexual Harassment Office (SH)) at Wits. Photo: Wits University.
Disciplinary for alleged rape of a student by a student
One of the disciplinary inquiries that is underway relates to a formal complaint from last year and involves the alleged rape of a student at a party, by another student. Dugard was not able to provide any details about the disciplinary as the case has not gone to court as yet. She added that the work of the SHO is not on the “public record.”
Dugard says that it is too early to say what their successes have been, as the office only opened in February this year. “[But] I would like to think that if we’ve achieved something so far, it’s to start to make complainants aware that we’re here to support them through providing a safe, effective space for sharing and resolving issues, whether informally or formally.”
Although Wits defines sexual harassment as the “unwelcome conduct of sexual nature,” Dugard recognises that it can be “tricky and slippery” to define.
“Precisely because much depends on whether the words or actions are welcome or unwelcome. However, while on paper this may seem fuzzy, in practice (in most cases) it is clear whether or not the conduct is welcome.”
A lot of the work the SHO has done this year has been reactive, as the team try to get on top of existing complaints, but now they are starting to work proactively. According to Dugard, they have set up a website on the Wits intranet, created a protocol for serious assault and rape, and are working on ways to effectively communicate with the various university communities about the SHO’s work and relevant policies.
“Our biggest challenge is finding effective ways to communicate to the various university communities, including students and staff members,” says Dugard. “We can’t claim to have reached everyone, but we are working towards ensuring that everyone in the university knows where our office is, that we provide support … including counselling … we will investigate and if relevant prosecute such through disciplinary inquiries.”
RELATED ARTICLES:
Wits Vuvuzela: ‘Minor’ violations of sexual harassment continue at Wits, June 11, 2014
Wits Vuvuzela: Former Witsie is new sexual harassment office head, February 6, 2014
Wits Vuvuzela: Wits academic resigns amid sexual harassment investigations, October 31, 2013
Wits Vuvuzela: Wits sexual harassment inquiry complete, September 4, 2013
by Ilanit Chernick | Jun 11, 2014 | News
Professor Jackie Dugard encourages staff and students to report any incidents of sexual harassment to her office. Photo: Wits University.
Inappropriate gestures, sexually-charged comments and even jokes of a sexual nature are still fairly common at Wits University despite last year’s high profile dismissals for sexual harassment.
Regarded as “minor” infringements, these incidents are just as serious and need to be reported, says Professor Jackie Dugard, director of the Wits sexual harassment office (SHO).
Dugard spoke to Wits Vuvuzela earlier this week about the less obvious forms of sexual harassment that occur between lecturers, staff members and students.
She emphasised that “unwanted attention, unwanted gestures, touching and comments,” by lecturers to students as well as staff to staff could fall under the “category” of sexual harassment.
“Minor” infringements are “just as important to report as major infringements” because both are “serious offenses that must be taken seriously.”She said the determination of the seriousness of an infringement depends on circumstance and context.
“If we’re talking about the more clear-cut scenario where the attention is unwanted, then anything of a sexist or sexual nature is unacceptable.”
“Sexual harassment is sexual harassment no matter how big or small the allegation,” she said.
Dugard says that all reports of sexual harassment regardless of their nature, are recorded by her team. “We report it all and take it all very seriously so that if there are repeat transgressions we have a historical record that might collectively add up to something much more ‘serious’.”
Reported incidents
The newly-formed SHO has already recorded a variety of issues which include “sexist” material being shown by a professor in a staff meeting and incessant commenting about a student’s appearance by a tutor.
Student on student harassment is also an issue that Dugard and the sexual harassment team hope to tackle. As examples of the problem Dugard says earlier this year a case of student on student rape at a party was reported to the SHO. Another case involved the intimidation of a female student by her ex-boyfriend.
Lecturer to Student Contact
Despite the differentiation between offences, Dugard said she is “not sure how helpful it is to categorise or try to delineate too rigidly between serious and minor” infringements because “according to Wits policy, if you violate the Wits code of conduct or any related policies such as sexual harassment… you can be subjected to a disciplinary inquiry and sanctioned accordingly”.
“Anything that falls outside of a professional relationship is not acceptable. In addition anything that falls outside of professional mentoring is not okay, unless it is wanted and reciprocated.”
Dugard said that at the moment there “isn’t an outright ban at Wits on student-staff relationships,” but it is something “being considered” by the university.
“Some universities have such policies in order to eliminate a lot of grey areas.”
REPORT SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Incidents of sexual harassment can be reported to the Sexual Harassment Office on the 6th Floor of University Corner. Call: 011-717-9790. Visit the website of the
Wits sexual harassment office.
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Wits Vuvuzela: Former Witsie is new sexual harassment office head, February 6, 2014
Wits Vuvuzela: Wits academic resigns amid sexual harassment investigations, October 31, 2013
Wits Vuvuzela: Wits sexual harassment inquiry complete, September 4, 2013
by Mfuneko Toyana | Mar 7, 2014 | Featured 1
FRESH INPUT: Jackie Dugard plans to bring change to Wits in her new position as director of the sexual harassment office. Photo: Nqobile Dludla
Upright, tall and tough Jackie Dugard, the new director of the Wits’ sexual harassment office, intends to “fight fights” against sexual abuse on campus.
The academic and activist, who formerly worked as director of the Socio Economic Rights Institute (SERI) has her dark hair in a tight bun, indicative of her no-nonsense approach. [pullquote align=”right”]“Myself and quite a few of my female friends encountered highly inappropriate actions from male staff members and lecturers.”[/pullquote]
Law and order
“I bring an understanding of social change,” said the academic and activist. “One of my strengths is that I am strong and like to fight”. Dugard, a former researcher at the Centre for Applied Legal Studies, was hired in November to lead the division dedicated to issues of sexual harassment and abuse on all other levels. Her appointment follows widespread revelations of sexual harassment on campus last year, which led to a full inquiry by the vice chancellor’s office and the dismissal of three lecturers for improper conduct and the resignation of a fourth.
Enter Dugard. An understanding of how class, gender and race intersect and influence abuses of power is not all she can offer.
Dugard herself has been a victim of harassment. She told Wits Vuvuzela that as a PhD student during her fellowship at University of Cambridge she suffered sexual harassment and abuse.
“Myself and quite a few of my female friends encountered highly inappropriate actions from male staff members and lecturers. There I was a tiny little student feeling like I don’t wanna rock the boat,” Dugard recalled.
She said the experience made her realise just how pervasive sexual harassment was, even at institutions that “people looked up to”. [pullquote]“We have to be realistic. This is not Moses parting the waves. It will take time,” [/pullquote]
“As with most institutions, it wasn’t immune [to sexual harassment]. And as with many institutions it was largely swept under the rug and tolerated,” Dugard said.
Fear factor
She said the experience taught her to have empathy and understanding for people who don’t report sexual harassment out of fear.
“I didn’t [report the harassment]. I regret it. I feel I really should have. It gave me a sense of why people do not report it,” she said.
Dugard explained that her office would empower students to deal with sexual harassment in whatever way they needed, ranging from counselling, medical treatment and legal assistance to fact sheets, educational drives and even “holding students hands” through the daunting prospect of tackling the institution and systemic issues. The sexual harassment office and its approach to harassment, however, remain a work in progress.
Dugard explained that the office was still in its formative stages, having recently moved into premises on the sixth floor of University Corner, dealing with a backlog of on-going cases, as well as trying to bring together all of university’s existing policies and networks.
“We have to be realistic. This is not Moses parting the waves. It will take time,” Dugard said.
A-team
With only Maria Wanyane, sexual harassment advisor at the CCDU, as part of the team, Dugard explained that the office still had to hire a lawyer and an administrator before it gets down to real work.
She described this as an important period of thinking through and understanding what had been done previously in order to map out the future.
“We don’t wanna rush it. But also, we don’t want to be in limbo. We have to make sure we have analysed everything. We are asking ourselves ‘how can we do better?’”
Dugard said confusion around what constituted sexual harassment made this period of analysis necessary, but in broad terms she described it as an insidious form of prejudice akin to racism.
Dugard’s activist background, her academic qualifications especially in law, and her own experience of harassment, place her in a good position to clear up the confusion.
by Staff Reporter | Feb 6, 2014 | News
Professor Jackie Dugard has been appointed the Director of the Sexual Harassment Office at Wits. Photo: Wits University.
Wits University has appointed Professor Jackie Dugard as the head of the newly established sexual harassment office.
Dugard, an admitted advocate is also the co-founder of SERI (The Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa) and holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge.
In a statement announcing Dugard’s appointment, the university said: “Professor Dugard has been tasked with assessing the current structure to deal with sexual harassment on our campuses, and to adapt it as appropriate, in line with the University’s new approved policies and procedures. Her role will include working with relevant University departments to ensure that Wits has sufficient, trustworthy systems in place to ensure a safe environment on our campuses.”
