A UCD student who had an image of her bruised body after she was “brutally raped” shared in a student WhatsApp group has said she feels like “nothing more than a PR issue” to the college.
The student, who Newstalk is calling ‘Caitlyn’, was a medical student at UCD but fears that her dream of becoming a doctor might be over following her experience.
However, she hopes that by sharing her story, the college will develop better policies to support vicitms of sexual assault and intimate image abuse.
UCD criticism
On The Hard Shoulder, Caitlyn explained that the image had been widely circulated among staff and students at UCD.
“The photo shows me unconscious, lifeless. It's quite upsetting for me to look at, even,” she said.
“In around April of last year, the image was circulated to UCD staff.
“It showed me that photograph alongside comments which were in an email. I couldn't even use the language that was mentioned.”
“They knew I was going to be called down to the Guards and my life was going to shatter,” she said.
“I find it difficult to reconcile with the fact that in such a large, well-funded university, and given the amount of staff who got it, not one person thought to reach out to this young girl to make sure she's all right after… the absolute worst night of my life.”
The image was also shared in a student WhatsApp group with hundreds of medical students.
Caitlyn described a number of the comments made in response to the image as “vile”.
However, despite their best efforts, Gardaí have been unable to find out who the original sender was.
“I couldn't wear shorts for weeks after because the bruising extended so far down my legs,” Caitlyn said.
“There was significant bruising on my chest and such.
“The assault itself was brutal and then this image-based abuse afterwards was another kick in the teeth.”
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UCD were contacted by Newstalk for comment.
The college issued the following statement:
"The University wishes to acknowledge the deep distress and anguish that this shocking and abhorrent criminal activity is causing the student.
We also wish to reassure the student that our student support services remain available to her at all times. This includes our student advisers, our professional counselling services, and our dignity and respect support service.
It is deeply troubling and saddening that the university community is a target for malicious individuals who use sophisticated digital techniques to conceal their identity while carrying out their appalling actions.
In an increasingly complex digital environment, we continue to seek to protect our students and staff, promote responsible behaviour, offer supports and take action where we can, including referral to law enforcement."
But Caitlyn feels “anything but supported by UCD”.
“I'm in my early 20s, I haven't had a go at life yet and that this was simply forgotten about,” she said.
“Nothing was done, no meeting beyond a meeting with student reps, there was no big meeting. There was no warning to students.
“There were student reps who were offered more support than I was offered.
“They were offered to have counsellors go down with the Guards with them and were offered legal advice before making reports to the Guards.
“I was offered nothing, I had to go down to the Guards by myself.”
Reputational issue
Since she went public with her story, Caitlyn has been contacted by other students who have endured similar experiences.
However, they are afraid to speak out because of the reputational consequences of doing so.
“Other students have reached out to me and shared similar stories, that they're scared to speak up because within the world of medicine, your reputation matters,” she said.
“Students feel it's safest to kind of stay quiet and keep your head down.”
Caitlyn continues to feel unsupported by the college and noted that her request for a meeting with senior management at the college was refused.
“I feel as though… my world shattering is seen as nothing more than a PR issue,” she said.
“Again, UCD, they have all these policies in place, all these supports; when these supports are stress tested, like in my situation, they fail.
“I feel I have no one I could reach out to in UCD, I am terrified that anything I say, that it's a PR issue, that I'm not a student - I am a reputational issue, I'm a liability.”
If you have been impacted by sexual violence, you can contact the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre on 1800 778 888.
Main image: A woman in shadows. Picture by: Alamy.com.
