Making a Report

The UMSU Sexual Harm Response Coordinators work with the UMSU Advocacy and Legal Service and provide support with making formal complaints to UMSU and the University of Melbourne, and reporting to the police University.

If you aren't sure if you'd like to make a complaint or report yet, we can talk you through the process and provide you with more information. It is your choice whether you would like to make a report and you can change your mind at any time.

We can also help you access support services.

Making a formal complaint to UMSU

If you have experienced harm from someone affiliated with UMSU (for example, an UMSU student leader or an UMSU staff member), you have the option of making a formal complaint to UMSU.

To make a complaint, you can contact UMSU HR, an UMSU Contact Officer, or the Sexual Harm Response Coordinators.

We take a trauma-informed and person-centred approach to all disclosures, reports and resolution processes. This means that people with concerns are at the centre of our response.

UMSU HR coordinates all complaints and investigations. You will be connected with a case manager who will talk you through next steps and be your main point of contact throughout the process.

Immediate steps can be taken to ensure your safety around UMSU spaces, if you wish. A case manager will coordinate this.

All information shared will be confidental and shared only on a need-to-know basis. Except where UMSU has a legal obligation or duty of care to protect individuals or a communities safety.

Making a formal complaint to the University of Melbourne

You can make a formal report to the University through the Safer Community Program.

If you’re thinking of making a report to the University, we recommend you contact the UMSU Sexual Harm Response Coordinators to assist you and provide independent advice.

The Speak Safely Portal can be used to find support and/or report sexual assault and/or harassment at the university about students or staff.

If you choose to make a complaint, the Safer Community Program or Workplace Investigation team will be in touch to talk about next steps, initially through an online chat.

The portal allows students to remain anonymous when contacting university services, and then gives you the opton of using the anonymous chat function to discuss their report with the relevant university service. The anonymous chat function is encrypted, so it protects your privacy and confidentiality. This portal is not only open to survivors but also bystanders to sexual misconduct.

You can also use a 'diary note' function, incase you would like to record details for yourself but are not ready to make a complaint.

All information shared is completely confidential, except where the University has a specific legal obligation or duty of care to protect individuals safety.

Reporting to the police

If you are in immediate danger, or fear for your safety, please contact emergency services on 000.

Sexual assault is a crime and you have the right to report it to police. You can also report sexual assault to your local police station.

You may not be comfortable with reporting to your local police station. Within Victoria there are specialist police called Sexual Offenses and Child Abuse Investigation Teams (SOCITs). Police within these teams are trained to support to survivors of sexual assault. You can directly call these teams to report sexual assault, for example, the number for the Melbourne area SOCIT is (03) 8690 4056.

If you don't feel comfortable contacting the police directly the Centre Against Sexual Assault (CASA) is a confidential and free counselling service that can provide support to you in making a report to the police.