Most Scottish universities fail to join gender violence charter

Most universities in Scotland have failed to sign up to a charter tackling gender-based violence in education, a charity has said.

The charter was introduced last year by EmilyTest, a Scottish government-backed charity in memory of 18-year-old Emily Drouet - launched by her mum Fiona.

Emily took her own life while studying at Aberdeen University in 2016 after a campaign of abuse by her boyfriend.

Four out of Scotland's 19 universities have signed up to the charter.

Six Scottish colleges have also joined.

The charter scrutinises measures universities and colleges have around violence prevention and support, by asking the question: "Would you have saved Emily's life?".

Fiona Drouet told BBC's Good Morning Scotland: "Emily went off to study at a university a couple of hours away from home and she was subjected to psychological, sexual and physical abuse.

"She did go forward for help and sadly got a substandard response, went back to her room and was assaulted a further three times and sadly after the last one took her own life.

"We discovered a catalogue of failures and understanding that Emily's death was preventable spurred on this work."

Law student Emily took her own life in March 2016. Her boyfriend Angus Milligan, 21, admitted assault and threatening behaviour.

He was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work in July 2017 and told he would be under supervision for a year.

EmilyTest is campaigning for more support and resources to help save lives like Emily's.

Its charter lists minimum standards which need to be met by institutions, including regularly evaluating reporting systems as well as any current prevention and support training for staff and students.

"It is about an overhaul of every single system in the institution relating to gender-based violence," Ms Drouet said.

The universities of St Andrews, Strathclyde, Aberdeen and Dundee have all committed to having their procedures reviewed by EmilyTest.

Mrs Drouet hopes another three institutions will join on their next intake.

She said: "We are reasonably pleased with how its gone given that we have only had this framework ready for the period of a year, but certainly there's a lot more that institutions could do.

"We do receive a lot of promises, but actions will speak louder."

Universities Scotland, which represents the 19 higher education institutions, said: "Universities take student safety and gender-based violence on campus very seriously and every university is committed to tackling gender-based violence.

"There is a significant amount of work going on in institutions and in collaboration across the sector."