Press information
Facts, sources and contact details for journalists and researchers. Everything on this page can be quoted with a link to casebycase.ie.
The campaign in brief
Case by Case asks Irish universities and government to review how reports of sexual misconduct from witnesses are handled. It was started in October 2026 by Ashley Nichols, who reported an incident as a witness at Trinity College Dublin and was told that her complaint could not progress. The campaign has three asks: assess every witness report, publish the rule, and set a national minimum standard.
Key facts
Each of Ireland's thirteen universities sets its own policy on reports of sexual misconduct from witnesses.
Source: The policies today
In 2026, Trinity College Dublin's Dignity, Respect and Consent Service stated in writing that it could not progress a complaint made by a witness.
Source: Our stories
Two universities, Dublin City University and Atlantic Technological University, have published wording that says reports from third parties are decided case by case.
Source: The policies today
Four policies that we read in full, at University of Galway, University of Limerick, South East Technological University and RCSI, do not say what happens to a report made by a witness.
Source: The policies today
Since 2020, Irish Universities Association guidance has advised universities to set out clearly their authority to act on third-party complaints.
Source: IUA Guidance for Universities, section 3.12 (opens in a new tab)
Of the students who reported an incident anonymously through Speak Out between September 2022 and August 2024, 12 per cent also made a formal complaint to their institution.
Source: Speak Out National Report, 2022 to 2024 (opens in a new tab)
About Ashley Nichols
Case by Case was started by Ashley Nichols. She completed a full-time MBA with distinction at Trinity College Dublin in 2026. She is a former United States diplomat, holds a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from Vanderbilt University, and is the author of Tech to Save the World (2021). She lives in Dublin.
Interviews and documents
Ashley is available for interview. Supporting documentation, including emails and video, is available to journalists on request.
Contact Ashley