Manchester SU are starting a student-led support group for sexual assault survivors

University of Manchester student and part-time Women's Officer, Emilia Jenkins, is starting a student-led, weekly support group for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.

Emilia says she decided to set the group up because "there are so many people around university who've been through these experiences and we never talk about it, but we really need to".

In 2018, a report by Revolt Sexual Assault and Student Room, found 42 per cent of students had been sexually assaulted while at university, this includes groping and unnecessary touching of a sexual nature. Eight per cent of respondents said they had been raped at university. Outside of university statistics, the crime statistics for England and Wales found that one in five women have been raped.

Emilia, and many others, feel the university counselling service is not good enough, especially "for this kind of thing".

Many students who are survivors are told to go to St Mary's Rape Crisis, where there is a waiting list time of up to six months if you are considered a "low risk victim".

Emilia believes uniting students through a weekly survivors group in an informal context will make the first step easier for student survivors to take. Emilia hopes that it will become a long standing group at the university for years to come.

The support group will change location week to week for safety reasons.

To find out the location each week send an email to survivorsunite@yahoo.com