New claims of hazing, rape, sexual assault at St Mark’s College

FRESH claims of hazing and sexual misconduct at an Adelaide residential college have sparked calls for its board to be dissolved and for university students to have mandatory consent training.

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• Claims St Mark’s College students subjected to degrading hazing
• ‘Forced to take her top off’: Another claim hits St Mark’s College
• New students at St Mark’s subject to abusive hazing

FRESH claims of sexual assault and hazing at a North Adelaide residential college have sparked calls for its board to be dissolved and for uni students to have mandatory consent training.

Student leaders are demanding bans on all hazing and tougher discipline for offenders to change the “secretive, toxic culture” of live-in colleges.

A young woman told 60 Minutes she was assaulted on her first night at St Mark’s College and forced to have sex with an older resident. That followed an alcohol-fuelled “sex tour” involving public masturbation and hardcore pornography.

The program aired a claim a girl who passed out in a bathroom was carried to a bedroom and raped. Another girl claimed explicit photos were taken without her consent.

The Advertiser revealed last month that an earlier claim by an 18-year-old girl, that she had been forced to take her top off in front of older, drunk male students, had been referred by the college to police.

The college has urged victims to make reports to police and said it would do the same.

In response to the new claims, the Adelaide Uni Student Representative Council has launched a campaign to end “shocking instances of hazing, ritualistic humiliation and sexual misconduct”.

St Mark's College.

“We are shocked by the absolute ineptitude of the St Mark’s College board and their complete lack of oversight of what is happening. Either they are completely unaware of the problematic culture … or they believe it is all part of the experience living there,” SRC president Matthew Boughey said.

SRC acting women’s officer Tahlia Penn said the allegations were “clearly indicative of ‘rape culture’, not just at St Mark’s but at (residential) colleges in general”.

“The key to stopping the scourge of hazing and sexual misconduct in residential colleges is putting in place appropriate disciplinary procedures and an emphasis on educating students on consent,” she said.

St Mark’s chairman Richard Burchnall told The Advertiser the college would “investigate and take appropriate action where required”.

He said the college would have been able to investigate “much sooner” if 60 Minutes had responded to “numerous requests over several months for any information or allegations”.

“It appears to us that the college was denied this information in the interests of increasing ratings,” he said.

In a separate statement, Mr Burchnall said: “The College is shocked and appalled by the allegations and strongly urges the former students to immediately report their allegations to the South Australian police. The college will make its own report (to police).

“60 Minutes also showed historical, previously unseen footage and photos of students at St Mark’s College partaking in unacceptable behaviour. The student behaviour breached the college’s code of conduct and behavioural guidelines.

“The college has well established disciplinary procedures in place and will act to take swift action against students breaching its code of conduct as it has done in the past.”

Mr Burchnall said all residents underwent alcohol and drug education and sexual harassment, sexual assault, ethical bystander and consent training.

Adelaide University does not run the residential colleges in North Adelaide but has a seat on St Mark’s advisory council.

A spokesman for the university said it had established a charter of student fairness and wellbeing along with the colleges.

“The mechanisms for dealing with student misconduct continue to reside with each college and the university independently. Nevertheless, the group is able to address issues of common concern,” he said.

He said the uni offered on-campus counselling and a 24-hour support phone service, while a voluntary sexual consent course was available to students and staff. The uni “strongly encourages” students report criminal allegations to police.