John XXIII College: ANU student tells ACT Supreme Court rape allegations were ‘black and white’
One student was branded with the nickname ‘scrotum’ at John XXIII college, where students were pressured to drink so much they failed subjects, a court has heard
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Students at the ANU’s John XXIII College were under so much pressure to drink that they would fail classes and would suffer “social consequences” if they stayed home sick from nights of binge drinking, a court has heard.
A former resident, who cannot be named, claims she was raped in an alleyway near Canberra bar Mooseheads after an unsanctioned college drinking event, “pub golf”.
She is suing the college for negligence claiming it failed in its duty of care to her by encouraging a frat house drinking culture.
Another resident, giving evidence in the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday, said that at one event, drunk women were encouraged to take their bras off so they could be tied together into a skipping rope.
Under cross-examination from the college’s barrister, Jeunesse Chapman, the woman agreed there were “no rules” at drinking events.
She said she did not remember a sheet of rules being slid under her door.
She said most people were referred to by a nickname, even if they didn’t want to be.
“(One resident) was called ‘scrotum’ and he disliked it,” she said.
She said “dry” college events had “very low attendance” and students had few opportunities to make friends if they didn’t drink.
She agreed she drank because she “wanted to” but said “there was a lot of pressure to”.
“I did fail several subjects,” she said.
She said she suffered “social repercussions from the times (she) was sick and didn’t go out”.
The court heard a student set up a fake Facebook profile under the name of “Jose Gustavo” to organise the “pub golf” night, which the college says it had previously banned.
“Everyone knew (who was behind the Fake profile), everyone talked about it,” the woman said.
The woman said she doesn’t remember if she knew at the time the event was “banned” but agreed there was “a little” effort to “keep it underground”.
“But everyone was talking about it,” she said.
She agreed the allegations of rape against the male student were “black and white”, but disagreed with allegations she bullied him by yelling out, “there’s nothing sexier than consent”.
“I never did that, no,” she said.
The trial, before Justice Michael Elkaim, continues.