Please note this story pertains to sexual violence. The South East Sexual Assault Crisis Centre has a 24/7 crisis phone line available at 1-844-853-0811.
A movement started by graduating Mount Allison student Michelle Roy to call attention to sexual violence on campus and the lack of effective response by the university, is reaching across the province.
Students and community members at UNB gathered for a protest last Friday, and have also been sharing stories and solidarity online via social media.
The Instagram account accountabilityatUNB has posted many such stories, including several from anonymous survivors who describe being assaulted by a doctor at the UNB Students Health Clinic.
On Tuesday, the New Brunswick College of Physicians suspended Dr. Manoj Bhargava after receiving five complaints in less than a week, all describing improper physical examinations by the psychiatrist.
Dr. Ed Schollenberg, registrar with the college, told CBC’s Lauren Bird that the complaints all described similar examinations.
Schollengerg told CBC the reports are “troubling in terms of potential magnitude,” noting that some complaints came from people no longer at UNB, who heard about the protests over handling of sexual assaults and decided to send in their concerns.
The CBC said UNB had not responded to their request for an interview.
In the UNB paper the Brunswickan, Taylor Chalker reports that UNB’s response to online and in person protests so far has been to state they do not tolerate sexual violence, and to point to protocols already in place.
Please note that the South East Sexual Assault Crisis Centre has a 24/7 crisis phone line available at 1-844-853-0811.
