More than 30 rapes and serious sexual offences have been reported on Norwich university campuses - but not one has led to a single successful prosecution, new figures have shown.
The data from Norfolk police shows dozens of students, staff and others who made allegations of sex attacks have seen the investigations end without anyone being charged.
It comes amid mounting anger from campaigners over the number of such incidents on campuses and the low conviction rates.
In total, there were 29 allegations reported at the University of East Anglia between 2018 and 2022, including 19 rapes, one involving an under-age victim, and 10 serious sexual assaults, all but one on women.
Experts say the true figures are likely to be significantly higher as this excludes offences which have allegedly taken place in private university accommodation.
However, none of the UEA reports led to anyone being convicted, while just three remain under investigation, the figures released after a freedom of information request show.
It comes as campaigners said it was “horrifying” there had been 320 reports of rape and 370 allegations of sexual assaults on university premises across the UK.
Jemima Olchawski, chief executive of women’s rights charity the Fawcett Society, said: “The reported number of sexual assaults and rapes found to have taken place on university premises is horrifying.
“Yet it’s safe to assume these numbers are just the tip of the iceberg.
“It should go without saying that women and girls must expect to be safe wherever they are but there is an awful lot more to be done before expectation meets reality.”
WHY HAVE THERE BEEN NO CONVICTIONS?
Efforts by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to encourage victims to come forward have yet to translate into higher prosecution rates.
The police figures show that a suspect was identified in four UEA cases but “evidential difficulties” prevented further action.
In others those responsible were either not identified, the victim declined to support further investigation or police closed the case after all leads were exhausted.
Earlier this month a former UEA student was found not guilty of the rape and sexual assault of a woman dating back to 2019.
READ MORE: UEA defends efforts to curb sexual assault and misconduct
Meanwhile no further action was taken after a reported rape at the Norwich University of the Arts (NUA) due to “evidential difficulties” while no suspect was found in connection with an indecent exposure.
Three allegations of sexual assaults at Norwich City College also did not lead to prosecutions.
Norfolk police said the figures reflected the “wider national picture in terms of relatively low conviction rates for rape and serious sexual offences”.
“Prosecutions are also not always a desired outcome for some victims and this is of course a factor when considering if a prosecution should be pursued,” said a spokesman.
“We will always investigate every report of a rape and serious sexual assault that we receive, regardless of how long ago it may have occurred.
"We have a dedicated Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) who we work closely with to support victims.”
Principles from Operation Soteria, a Home Office-funded scheme aimed at transforming the way police investigate rape and serious sexual violence were also being implemented in Norfolk, he added.
READ MORE: UEA students reveal impact of inappropriate behaviour
The UEA said the reports had involved members of the public as well as UEA staff and students and included complaints related to historic incidents.
Jon Sharp, director of student and academic services, said: “Any allegations of sexual misconduct are taken very seriously and we have a zero tolerance approach towards all forms of harassment.
“The university also takes a proactive approach in educating our students and staff through a variety of training programmes, including Consent Matters training, which was attended by 95pc of our students living on campus this year.
“We also offer active bystander training, and guidance on how to respond to disclosures of sexual violence.”
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