Ex-University of Queensland vice-chancellor Peter Hoj sorry for saying stalking allegation was a ‘she said/he said’ incident

Former University of Queensland VC Peter Hoj has apologised for dismissing a female student’s stalking, harassment allegations.

Former University of Queensland vice-chancellor Peter Hoj has apologised for publicly dismissing a female student’s stalking and harassment allegations as a “she said/he said” incident.

Video emerged at the weekend of Professor Hoj, now vice-chancellor of the University of Adelaide, casting doubts on allegations from former UQ student Isabel Martins — whom he did not name — that a male student stalked her on campus, watched her shower and climbed on her balcony at a residential college while she was asleep.

On Sunday, he called the comments “regrettable”.

The Weekend Australian revealed on Saturday serious accusations of mishandling of complaints at UQ, with the accused male student going on to become a tutor after being forced to issue a written apology over his alleged stalking. Months later, a second woman alleged the male student sexually assaulted her on a campus building’s rooftop.

Professor Hoj told The Weekend Australian he took sexual misconduct seriously and was committed to change but in a video recording of a University of Adelaide student forum, he described it as a “she said/he said” incident and claimed UQ had done “absolutely nothing wrong”.

Professor Hoj – who made the comments on May 4 – added that findings by an internal investi­gator were “not to the liking of (activist group) End Rape on Campus so they complained” to the sector regulator.

UQ student Isabel Martins says a male student stalked her on campus, watched her shower and climbed on her balcony at a residential college while she was asleep. Picture: Jane Dempster

“That particular case which is referred to was a ‘she said, he said’ and we had very good people looking at that,” he said. “(The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency) concluded that UQ did absolutely nothing wrong … it’s unfair and unfounded allegations against UQ.” The male student was hired as a UQ tutor despite the Brisbane Magistrates Court issuing a temporary protection order against him on behalf of Ms Martins.

The temporary protection order against the male student was later upgraded to a five-year domestic violence order.

The second student, who accused him of sexually assaulting her on campus in 2019, also said he did not adhere to university ­orders not to go near her.

The man denies both alle­gations and is no longer employed by the university.

The Weekend Australian reported UQ investigators had asked both women invasive questions, including what they were wearing and what they were drinking and about marks left on one complainant’s breasts after she was allegedly attacked.

Asked on Sunday about the comments he made at the University of Adelaide student forum, Professor Hoj said he regretted using the term “she said/he said” and that his attacks on anti-rape activists went too far.

“It is true that allegations were made that a case at UQ was mishandled. It is also true that TEQSA investigated those allegations and determined that UQ had handled the matter appropriately,” he said.

 

“However, in responding to a question at the recent student forum, my comments went too far, beyond what I ordinarily consider to be reasonable, and not reflecting my position or my usual approach. I do not want to retraumatise individuals who have gone through a very difficult time.

“I am sorry for making those comments.

“I also acknowledge that the use of the phrase ‘she said/he said’ was regrettable. This phrase is ill-advised and should not have been used. It is insensitive to the parties and particularly to a victim of such conduct.

“It does not reflect my genuinely held views that much more has to be done to combat sexual misconduct in all its forms. I am deeply committed to that cause.”

End Rape on Campus, an organisation that supports victims of sexual assault, has described the handling of the two complaints as the “worst” seen at an Australian university.

Sharna Bremner, the advocacy group’s director, said the “she said/he said” comments risked discouraging women on campus from coming forward.

“They will now rightly be worried about the confidentiality of any complaints that they may have filed, given that the current vice-chancellor has seen fit to share the details of someone else’s complaint without her consent,” she said.

Professor Hoj’s successor at UQ, Deborah Terry, has apologised to the complainants for the distress the handling of their complaints caused and is enacting a sweeping change to the univer­sity’s sexual harassment policies.

Ms Martins and the second female complainant have criticised Professor Hoj for not meeting with them and for taking long ­periods of time to reply to letters.

National University of Students president Zoe Ranganathan said the revelations at UQ showed the higher education sector had more work to do to protect women on campus.

“The 2016 ‘Speak. Now. Always.’ survey found that 94 per cent of those who experienced sexual assault on campus did not make a report to their university,” she said.

“We must ask why this is the case. Have universities failed to create frameworks for reporting, are the repercussions for perpetrators not high enough? Do some students know that they will be questioned ‘what were you wearing’ or ‘how drunk were you’?

“From the survivors that I hear from everyday, the answer to all of these questions is yes.”