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‘Zero tolerance’: Australian university, govt ‘aware’ of sexual abuse allegations against student
The University of Melbourne reported it has received complaints from two alumni about Malik's behavior during his time in Melbourne.
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The University of Melbourne has offered wellbeing support to the alumni, who currently live outside Australia. (Wikimedia Commons/Gracchus250)
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he University of Melbourne has stated that it has zero tolerance toward inappropriate behavior, a representative from the university said on Saturday in response to allegations against Ibrahim Malik, a student finishing his master's degree at the university's Melbourne School of Design who has been accused of sexual violence by at least 30 women in Indonesia.
“The University of Melbourne is committed to ensuring that all of its campuses are places where students, staff and visitors are safe and are treated with absolute respect and courtesy," the university's representative told The Jakarta Post through a written statement.
Two female alumni from the campus had also reported Ibrahim for alleged sexual harassment to the university's Safer Community Program, the university said.
"The university takes all allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior extremely seriously and a senior staff member has contacted both women to check on their welfare and provide advice on the university’s student complaints process," the representative stated, adding that the university had offered wellbeing support to the alumni, who currently live outside Australia. "The university has also contacted the male student and offered him support and assistance."
Read also: Pressure mounts for Australia to cancel scholarship of student accused of sexual abuse
Separately, a spokesman from the Australian Embassy said the embassy had been notified of Ibrahim’s alleged sexual misconduct.
“We are aware of allegations of sexual misconduct by an Australia Awards scholar. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and its programs have a zero-tolerance approach to sexual misconduct claims,” he told the Post on Friday.
“We take all allegations of this nature seriously and manage them in accordance with our policies and Australian law,” he continued, adding that the embassy was unable to provide further details due to privacy constraints.
Two of the women who reported Ibrahim told ABC that Ibrahim had sexually harassed them during his time in Melbourne.
