Like any small school with a tight-knit community, things get around fast. As things get whispered, passed from year group to year group like a giant game of telephone, things can get twisted and exaggerated for the entertainment of the listener or to prove a point better. When I decided to investigate the topic of sexual assault at the school, it was because of these rumors that I had heard. I heard of these blood-boiling cases of sexual assault between two students, which had proof, and the school did nothing. If anything, the perpetrator benefited from the incident. However, when I started to investigate, I found out a majority of these stories, including that one specifically, were just that, myths with only traces of the truth.
How does the school truly handle SA cases? Despite popular belief, the school does quite a lot, as much as they can, until their hands are tied by the law and offer all the help they can to the victims.
Now, what would it look like if you hypothetically got sexually assaulted by another student and you went to discuss it with Mrs Gifford, a counsellor, or another member of staff?
Firstly, they would thank you for coming forward as they acknowledge it can be really hard to step up even though it is the right thing to do to inform teachers that this has happened within the school community.
Then, your health is their top priority, and if you are physically unwell, they will ensure you get the proper medical resources. The school nurses would be there to help, though, if you are in need of medical care that is more specific to your situation. There are special clinics that the school would give you contact information for.
While the school can’t take the law into its own hands and prosecute the alleged perpetrator, they will support you if you choose to go to the police, giving the contact information of those specifically you can contact to press charges.
The questions that I have heard students ask the most is: What happens to the perpetrator?
There needs to be an emphasis on the fact that legally, the school cannot investigate the case, and therefore, unless there is a charge and the perpetrator is found guilty, it will always be considered an alleged assault. This means that the school can’t expel the student, especially if it is something that happened off campus. Mrs. Gifford brought up the comparison of shoplifting. Teachers can hear about it and talk to students about it but nothing more, or else it would be a violation of privacy because it has nothing to do with the school. It isn’t the school’s business what happens off campus, and it wouldn’t be fair for the school to pick and choose when they stick their nose into a student’s personal life. This means that, unfortunately, even when it comes to cases like these, they must moderate it from a distance.
However, some actions that could happen are finding ways to keep distance between two students or working with the alleged victim and alleged perpetrator to get support from their parents. If the perpetrator is found guilty, the court will tell the school what to do and what actions to take. However, it is up to the victim, and there have been instances where the victim had wanted no action to be taken, and the student body had heard otherwise and believed the school was just trying to sweep the incident under a rug.
These cases are extremely delicate and personal, meaning we need to respect the privacy of those involved and it isn’t anyone’s place to share a story that doesn’t belong to them.
However, the school does encourage transparency and wants the school to be a safe and trustworthy environment. So, Mrs. Gifford wants to emphasize the importance of coming to the staff with your concerns on things you may have been told in order to break this game of telephone we all seem to be playing. If you feel uncomfortable coming to the staff on these specific issues, there are tools such as Toottoot where you can anonymously clear up any concerns as well. This applies if you have also been a victim. The school wants to make sure all of their students feel safe and supported, so please do not hesitate to reach out if you need help.
**LAVI LAUSANNE CENTER
Rue du Grand-Pont 2 bis
1003 Lausanne
021 631 03 00
As a victim (or indirect victim), you have the possibility of contacting a LAVI center to make an appointment and obtain Social, Emotional and Legal support.
Filing a criminal complaint is not necessary, it is entirely confidential and you can go anonymously without an accompanying adult.
