The incident was captured on CCTV, and later filmed on a mobile phone by a member of staff and subsequently leaked.
The video has been in circulation since the start of the year, shared via the internet and WhatsApp. The ball was held in December at the UniversityÔÇÖs ÔÇÿRam barÔÇÖ, in an effort to raise awareness of sexual health issues.
The Exeter University StudentsÔÇÖ Guild has launched an official investigation into the video leak, and has offered support to the students affected. Though local police have not received a report regarding the incident, they have commented that the couple filmed and the individual who leaked the footage have likely committed criminal offences. The University itself has not offered any comment on the event.
The Ball itself has come under fire. Attendees are encouraged to wear revealing outfits and are provided with free contraception, with students commenting that the eventÔÇÖs message is lost as a result. One student was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying the event was ÔÇ£disgustingÔÇØ, adding that, ÔÇ£they pretend itÔÇÖs about safe sex and AIDS to give them an excuse to wear nothing and get off with each otherÔÇØ. The charity ball was also the subject of controversy last year for the eventÔÇÖs ÔÇ£tribalÔÇØ theme, which was deemed racist by university staff and students. However, the ball is very popular, drawing over 2,000 attendees and raising thousands of pounds for AIDS charities.
Groups such as the Campaign for Real Education have weighed in on the ball; Group chairman Chris McGovern commented that it was ÔÇ£regrettable [that the] university [had] to go along this particular path in the name of promoting safer sexÔÇØ.
Students have been critical of the staff member who leaked the video. An editor of the universityÔÇÖs student newspaper, Exepos├®, Tom Payne, wrote in The Guardian that this was the ÔÇ£real story, and the real problemÔÇØ, with the Daily Mail accusing university staff of voyeurism.
Speaking to Exepos├®, the Guild said that they had identified the individuals involved as part of the ongoing investigation and disciplinary procedures.
Payne noted that a ÔÇ£riftÔÇØ had formed between the Guild (which functions in a similar manner to Cardiff UniversityÔÇÖs StudentsÔÇÖ Union) and the university itself subsequent to the incident. The latter party has refused to offer comment on the event, but the editors of Exepos├® have been threatened with disciplinary action should they publish material encroaching on the GuildÔÇÖs investigation.
He also commented on the gathering media storm surrounding the event, with the Daily MailÔÇÖs coverage in particular coming under fire. The university has been the subject of national coverage, with outlets such as The Huffington Post and MSN UK running stories on the incident.
The Exeter Tab student newspaper had said that they were at one point considering sharing the video with readers, and conducted a poll in which 83% of respondents encouraged them to do so. However, they decided not to after being threatened with legal action from the StudentsÔÇÖ Guild.
Exeter University has become notoriously protective of its image, with Payne noting that this unwelcome news follows the closure of ÔÇ£Spotted in the LibraryÔÇØ and ÔÇ£Confessions of a Uni StudentÔÇØ Facebook pages.
He attributed this to the fact that the university was recently offered a place in the prestigious Russell Group of research universities (whose numbers include Cardiff University, as well as Oxford and Cambridge) last year.
Speaking to gair rhydd, Megan David, Cardiff Students’ Union’s Welfare and Community Officer, said that she thought the principle of the event was brilliant, but was sad that people werenÔÇÖt taking the eventÔÇÖs message seriously. Sympathising with the students affected, she agreed with commentators that they shouldnÔÇÖt have taken part in the act concerned. However, she believed that the students had been unfairly victimised and were to be likely embarrassed by what had become a national scandal, asking, ÔÇ£who are we to judge […] as long as it was safe and consenting? Sex shouldnÔÇÖt be such a taboo subject ÔÇô we should be open to discussing it.ÔÇØ
Megan lamented the fact that the Sexual Health Awareness Group (SHAG) folded last year due to its faltering membership. In December, she and those who remained in the society held a quiz in the Vulcan Lounge to improve awareness of World AIDS Day, raising £200 and giving out free condoms. She plans to continue efforts to increase sexual awareness, expanding on campaigns around the University and the Union, including the installation of a map of Cathays with directions to the Royal Infirmary on the first floor of the Union.
Those wishing to get involved are encouraged to email Megan at WelfareOfficer@cardiff.ac.uk
Michael O’Connell Davison
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