Chloe's boyfriend hit her so hard she suffered a concussion, permanent hearing loss and, according to her psychologist, post-traumatic stress disorder. She says what Concordia University in Montreal did to her was worse.
Chloe, who asked that her real name not be used, was a first-year student at Concordia in September 2014 when her boyfriend, whom she'd been dating for a little over six months, punched her repeatedly in the head.
Her neighbours called the police; he was arrested and charged with assault. Chloe says the man, also a Concordia student, assaulted her twice more on campus: the first time choking her and the second hitting her in the buttocks so hard it left a bruise. After the second incident, he was arrested again and charged with violating court-imposed conditions restricting his ability to contact her.
The assailant, whom Chloe asked Maclean's not to name, was found guilty of assaulting her on Sept. 24, 2015. In court, his lawyer stressed his grades were good and his future would be harmed if he had a permanent criminal record. The judge gave him a conditional discharge, meaning he would avoid a permanent criminal record provided he followed certain provisions, such as not contacting Chloe.
Despite the court's findings and his being arrested for assaulting her on campus in February, Concordia repeatedly refused to hold a disciplinary hearing. (Concordia declined to comment on the specifics of the case.)
"There's no he said, she said' here," says Chloe. "He pleaded guilty in front of a court of law. I have a recording of him admitting to it. I've got a restraining order against him, and Concordia doesn't care."
Chloe had filed a complaint with the university on March 24, 2015, accusing her ex-boyfriend of physical and sexual assault on Concordia's campus. University staff told her a hearing would be held within 20 days; it took more than a year. That delay during which Chloe dropped out of school showcases the many problems faced by students who report sexual assaults at universities across the country.
Click here to read the full story.
