There is an established online portal that staff and students can use to report sexual misconduct. You can use the portal to report an incident that happened to you or someone else. For example, you can report an incident where you witnessed an incident, or you can report on behalf of someone else.

If you are reporting on behalf of another person, you must have their consent before you do so.

However, if you have witnessed an incident and you don’t know the name of the person involved, so you can’t seek their consent, you may report the incident.

Yes. You control what information you provide to us. You can use the portal to ensure that the university is aware of an incident, but you don’t want to share your name.

If you choose to make an anonymous report, we are limited in the follow-up action we can take. For example, the university is unlikely to commence a formal investigation based on anonymous reports. However, if several anonymous reports highlight particular activities or areas of risk, the university may take steps to reduce the risk of further incidents occurring.

You don't have to be a Torrens University/Think Education student or staff member to make a report on the portal. A person making a report might be a victim of an incident, a witness to an incident or a support person, family member or friend of a victim or witness.

However, when you are reporting something which happened to another person you identify in the report, you must have that person's consent before you report an incident about them on their behalf.

You can use the portal to report incidents that are not recent. No uniformly accepted “normal” reaction to having experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct exists. Each person’s reaction is an individual one, and many people wait for years before they feel able to disclose an incident to someone.

Torrens University/Think Education cannot investigate incidents that are not connected to Torrens University/Think Education, and there may be limits on our ability to investigate if the incident occurred in the past. However, even where Torrens University/Think Education cannot investigate, we will do our best to assist with referrals and information to help our students and staff.

Reports made using the portal get delivered to a confidential mailbox managed by the our support team. All reports are confidential and will be managed as set out in question 6 and question 9 below.

Once you press the submit button, you will receive confirmation that we have received the incident. It will explain what happens next and where to access immediate support.

If you DO identify yourself in the report and supply contact details, you will receive follow-up communication from the Torrens University/Think Education response team by the next working day by the preferred method you have indicated on the report (e.g. email or phone call).

After consultation with the person making the report, the Torrens University/Think Education response team may provide you with referral details to other appropriate areas within Torrens University/Think Education, e.g., Counselling, Student Support Services, or HR. We may also suggest contacting external specialist support services like sexual assault services, external medical services and counsellors.

In some circumstances, a legal duty to inform the police about a report concerning a serious indictable offence (meaning a crime punishable by a prison term of at least five (5) years) will arise. Under the Crimes Act (NSW), when a person knows or believes that the offence has been committed and has information that might be of material assistance in securing the apprehension of the offender or the prosecution or conviction of the offender, they must not, without reasonable excuse, fail to bring it to the attention of the police. You will be consulted wherever possible before any notification concerning your report is made.

Complaints or allegations of sexual misconduct against Torrens University/Think Education students are addressed in accordance with the Student Misconduct Policy. Complaints or allegations against Torrens University/Think Education staff are addressed per the Staff Misconduct Policy.

We aim to provide a response by the preferred method you have indicated in the report (provided you have supplied your contact details) within 24 hours. Sometimes that will not be possible: for example, if a report is made on a Friday, weekend, Public Holiday or during the university shutdown period in December.

Please email us if you have made a report but have yet to receive an email acknowledgement within 72 hours.

If urgent medical or other help is needed after a serious incident occurs, contact the police or an ambulance immediately. You do not need to wait for a response from the report you made to the portal.

What happens after you report an incident of sexual misconduct to Torrens University/Think Education depends on a few things:

• Whether the person reporting has supplied contact details
• The nature of the incident
• What action or support the person reporting the incident is seeking

Some potential outcomes that could occur (if we have your contact details) are listed here.

See the following policies and procedures for more information:

Torrens University

• Student Complaints Policy
• Student Conduct Policy

Think Education

• Student Complaints Policy
• Student Conduct Policy

Yes. There are two ways to report sexual misconduct to the police:

1. Contact your nearest police station and make a formal complaint.

In an emergency, dial triple zero (000).

You can contact the police on the Police Assistance Line at 131 444.

To contact a local police station, or visit one in person, check your state police website:

• New South Wales and ACT
• Victoria
• South Australia
• Queensland
• Western Australia
• Tasmania
• Northern Territory

2. Complete a sexual assault reporting option questionnaire

The purpose of completing a questionnaire is not to enable a criminal investigation to take place, but it can help police to take measures to protect the community and reduce repeat offending.

Read information on the questionnaire: Sexual Assault Reporting Options. It is important to note that the questionnaire asks for details about the incident. If you decide to complete the questionnaire, it is highly recommended that you have a friend with you to help you. Completing the questionnaire may be very distressing for you.

Yes. You can report to both the police and Torrens University/Think Education (via the portal or emailing us to speak to someone, another staff member or student leader, etc.)

There may be occasional situations where Torrens University/Think Education has a duty to inform the police about a serious incident reported to it (See item 6 above). Where the police commence an investigation, the university may need to wait to carry out any investigation, pending the outcome of police inquiries. However, providing appropriate support and referrals and ensuring the safety of the person(s) affected will remain a priority for the university in all circumstances.

Suppose the matter needs to be investigated under one of Torrens University/Think Education's Procedures (e.g., the Student Complaint Procedure). In that case, all parties to the matter, including the person alleged to be responsible for the sexual misconduct, will be advised that the matter is being investigated.

While most of our students are over the age of 16, in exceptional cases, there may be Torrens University/Think Education students under the law who are under 16 years of age and are therefore considered to be children. There may also be children on a Torrens University/Think Education campus who are not students – for example, children attending a Torrens University/Think Education campus with a parent who has obtained permission for their visit. Under the law, there are obligations imposed upon certain types of professionals (for example, doctors, counsellors and childcare workers) to notify relevant Government Departments and/or the police where there are concerns that a child is experiencing or is at risk of sexual abuse.

More information is available on the Child Family Community Australia Fact Sheet. from the Australian Government.

Where a staff member is accused of a more serious and/or unlawful incident, the process outlined in the Staff Misconduct Policy for dealing with allegations of misconduct/serious misconduct would likely be activated.

You can decide if you want to make a report to the police or not.

However, under New South Wales law, if you have helpful information about a serious criminal offence and you, without a reasonable excuse, don't tell the police, you may be committing an offence. There may be a good reason why you do not want to make a report to the police, and where possible, this decision will be respected by Torrens University/Think Education.

If you are in this dilemma, we encourage you to seek legal advice. Students and staff can seek advice from any community legal centre or private legal practice. A private legal practice would ordinarily charge you fees for advice.

Torrens University/Think Education acknowledges and supports NSW Health Responding to Sexual Assault Policy and Your Health Rights and Responsibilities

Yes. You can send us an email with updated information.

No. However, if you are making a report on behalf of a student, privacy laws provide that you must have their consent to make the report.

Deliberately making a false report is a grave matter, and it is crucial to recognize the immense harm that a false report might cause, not only to the person wrongly accused of sexual misconduct but also to that person’s family, friends and community.

Deliberately making a false report is also potentially damaging to those who have experienced sexual misconduct and may fear that they will not be believed because of false reports.

If the person found to have deliberately made a false report is a Torrens University/Think Education staff member or student, this would amount to a breach of the staff or student Code of Conduct and may result in a disciplinary outcome.

If you are not the person making a false report but are aware that someone has deliberately made a false report, you should email us as soon as possible. The Torrens University/Think Education response team will be able to contact the appropriate Torrens University/Think Education staff and take the matter further.