Our stories
My name is Ashley Nichols. In the 2025/26 academic year I witnessed a sexual assault at a Trinity College Dublin event and reported it. That was when I learned that a university can decline to investigate a witness's report unless the victim makes a direct complaint. This is my account of what I saw and what the university did with my report.
What I experienced
During the 2025/26 academic year, while I was a full-time MBA student at Trinity College Dublin, I saw a member of Trinity College staff sexually assault a Trinity student at a social event connected to our programme. He kissed her without consent and led her out of the venue to take her to his home. Another student and I went after her. The other student urged her not to leave with him, and I heard that student tell her that he had grabbed and kissed several other students that evening. She asked me for help. I stepped in to intervene, and I recorded the confrontation on video.
What I reported
Because a staff member was involved, I reported it to the university and provided the video to the staff member's supervisors. My report included what the other student had said that night: that the same staff member had grabbed and kissed several other students at the event. Trinity Human Resources declined to act without direct reports from the victim, and the Dignity, Respect and Consent Service told me in writing:
"[A] complaint can only progress where the individual who experienced the bullying or sexual misconduct is the one to submit the complaint."
What happened next
No formal investigation was opened or conducted. Trinity staff encouraged me to delete the video, and I was told that "false reports like this can ruin people's lives." I submitted a complaint about the university's handling of my report to Ireland's Office of the Ombudsman, but because Trinity acted within its own set policies the case was outside the Ombudsman's remit.
As of October 2026, as far as I know, that staff member still has access to Trinity students.
Why I started Case by Case
When I witnessed the assault, I knew what needed to be done and how to do it. I had formal training in bystander intervention from my prior roles as a university administrator and diplomat, and I hold a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from Vanderbilt University.
Most people have never had that training, and many who see something are too afraid or uncertain to act. Universities cannot push the responsibility for protecting their students onto other students or bystanders. A witness who does step in should be supported by the university, not ignored.
Trinity followed its own policy, and that is why I started Case by Case. I believe these policies were established in good faith, but they create gaps that put students at risk. The policies page shows what each Irish university has published, and many do not share what happens when a witness makes a report. I am asking government and universities to review these policies, so that every witness report is assessed on its evidence and decided case by case.
I am a sexual assault survivor myself. I know why the decision to take part in an investigation must belong to the person harmed, and nothing we are advocating for takes that away. Respecting that person's autonomy and keeping others safe are compatible aims. A university can leave that choice to participate in an investigation with them and still assess a witness's evidence as it would any other credible report of risk, particularly when it concerns a member of staff.
Stories from others
These accounts were sent to us by people who have witnessed or experienced sexual misconduct at an Irish university. Some are shared anonymously.
These stories describe sexual misconduct and may be difficult to read. Support services are listed at the bottom of this page.
You can share your story anonymously. We read every story before publishing it on this page.
No stories have been published yet. If you have one to share, we would like to hear it.
We are not able to verify individual stories. They are shared as examples of the safety problems students face at university. Stories may be edited to remove names and identifying details.