College staff left traumatised by ‘failed’ investigation into sexual assault claims

Two members of staff from a college have said colleagues have been left traumatised after several allegations of sexual assault were “not taken seriously” by management.

The allegations relate to 15 incidents of assault and harassment – including five sexual assaults – alleged against a temporary member of staff at Lewisham College in Lewisham Way, Lewisham.

The assaults were said to have taken place on college premises in 2022 and were reported as formal complaints to college management later the same year.

One woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said: “When he started at the college I had a weird feeling about him because he was very forward.

“One day he touched me inappropriately. I froze. I didn’t know what was going on.”

After the incident, the woman told her colleagues.

She said: “I thought maybe he didn’t mean it. I was making excuses for him in my mind.

“But then I heard he had done it to other people. Not just sexual assault but bullying and harassment.

“People were crying in the office all the time.”

The college opened an internal investigation into the allegations after 15 members of staff made formal complaints.

Two staff members claimed that during the investigation management told victims not to discuss anything with other staff members.

The woman said: “The investigation took months.

“They told us not to speak about it so I didn’t realise how many people it had happened to. I felt so alone and scared.”

Throughout the investigation, the man accused of the assaults remained working at the college.

The woman said: “I saw him every day. He would give me horrible looks like he was trying to intimidate me.”

The woman said she has been left traumatised by the experience and her mental health had suffered as a result.

Another Lewisham College staff member, who also cannot be identified for legal reasons, said: “He targeted younger women.

“I was told about sexual assaults from four other women who left – so they were not part of the investigation.”

Throughout 2022 and 2023 the two women said seven staff members left because of the man’s behaviour.

The woman continued: “The concern is also about management.

“Despite all complaints and staff leaving, they protected this man. He was friends with a senior member, you’d see them laughing, sometimes arm in arm during the investigation.

“I had never felt unsafe at that college before. Now I wouldn’t ever send a child there.

“This has impacted so many people.”

The college did not refer the allegations to the police. The man was sacked from the college in late 2023.

The Met is currently collecting statements from victims, with plans to open a criminal investigation, after staff reported the incidents.

Lewisham College had not commented on the story at the time of publication.

Pictured top: Lewisham College opened an internal investigation into the allegations but did not refer the matter to police (Picture: Google Street View)