The head of wellbeing and welfare at Balliol College, Oxford, said that men accused of sexual assault were like “puppies who needed to be trained” in a meeting with female students, it has been claimed.
Reverend Canon Bruce Kinsey, the chaplain of Balliol, is alleged to have made the remarks in a meeting intended to address complaints of a rape culture on campus. The claims will intensify scrutiny of the 750-year-old college, the alma mater of Boris Johnson and Dame Cressida Dick, which has faced criticism of the way it deals with sexual assault claims.
The college has already announced an independent inquiry into its handling of a complaint by a postgraduate student called Harriet. She claims that when she told Kinsey she had been sexually assaulted by a fellow student, the chaplain asked her if she was aware of the effect she had on men and told her to be wary of the impact [of her claims] on her alleged attacker.
Last night it was confirmed that Kinsey had stepped aside as head of wellbeing and welfare while the college investigates claims by two more students. They claim that Kinsey asked inappropriate questions about a female student’s sexual history when she tried to report an assault and appeared to trivialise the behaviour of abusive men.
Kinsey denies the claims, saying he does not recognise the accounts and would never trivialise a report of harm. One of the women told The Times: “Balliol College has systemic problems in supporting the welfare of students. After reporting my own rape, the head of welfare, Bruce Kinsey, asked me intimate sexual questions, including ‘were you a virgin?’
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“My friends have similar experiences [with Kinsey]. They were asked intimate and inappropriate sexual questions, told that their behaviour had encouraged sexual abuse, and had traumatic experiences of rape and assault belittled. The head of welfare [Kinsey] treated the issue with contempt, a lack of professionalism, and genuine incompetence.”
She added that Kinsey’s dual role as a welfare officer and a financial aid officer made it difficult for victims of sexual assault to complain about how their cases were handled, in case it jeopardised their financial support.
The second student said she was shocked by Kinsey’s alleged remarks, which he denies, in a meeting she attended in her capacity as a women’s officer in February. “On issues around consent, I was told that perpetrators were ‘puppies who needed to be trained’ thus trivialising the severity of harm caused. It was also suggested that survivors should consider how damaging such accusations could be to the male students’ reputation and future.”
Kinsey told The Times: “I do not recognise this account of this case whatsoever, and did not ask the questions you mention. I take claims of sexual assault very seriously. I refer those reporting sexual assault to the appropriate services and would never trivialise such a report of harm.” He said fears about a conflict of interest were unfounded as any decisions about financial aid were made in consultation with other staff and not by him alone.
A spokesman for Balliol College said: “The welfare and wellbeing of Balliol’s student community is of paramount importance to the college.”
