The chair of the Oxford Union debating society has been arrested on suspicion of rape. Sky News reports that Ben Sullivan, 21, was taken into custody after allegations of rape and attempted rape were made against him. The Tab – a student newspaper – reports that Sullivan had been ‘woken at approximately 7.10am and taken to a local police station.’
Christ Church college, which Sullivan attends, told The Tab: ‘We have unfortunately received information that a junior member of Christ Church has been arrested and that this may become the subject of interest from the press.’
A Thames Valley Police spokesperson told Sky that a 21-year-old man had been arrested in Oxford on Wednesday morning. He has been released on bail until 18 June.
This isn’t the first controversy Sullivan has seen. Over the past few weeks, he has threatened legal action against The Tab for reporting that he was part of a uni drinking society called the ‘Banter Squadron’. He denied it, emailing to tell the Oxford student paper Cherwell: ‘I regret that decision and would like to apologise for it’, but he also explained that the Banter Squadron was ‘a joke term used to describe one group of friends’.
The letter has since been removed, The Independent reports. The tussle saw the debating society’s librarian Kostas Chryssanthopoulous resign via email, explaining that: ‘To serve under this President has been the biggest regret of my time in this Society and I want nothing more to do with him.’
The arrest follows claims earlier this year that Oxford university has been betraying victims of sexual violence by hushing up claims of sexual attack and rape.
The Oxford Union debating society has been a launch pad for many British politicians – Boris Johnson and Michael Gove were once members, as well as William Gladstone, Herbert Asquith and Edward Heath (former prime ministers, FYI).
More news to follow as this story develops.
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Picture: Rex
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.