Ben Sullivan, the president of the historic Oxford Union, was arrested early yesterday morning under suspicion of rape. His arrest is alleged to be related to one count of rape, from January 2013, and one count of attempted rape, from April 2013. 

Sullivan is a third-year history and politics student at Christ Church College, Oxford, although he is now thought to be taking a sabbatical year. Since he stood unopposed in the Union's elections in Michaelmas, he has come under repeated attack from the Oxford Tab, who have linked him to a controversial drinking society in his college, known as The Banter Squadron. Sullivan is then thought to have tried to use Union members' fees to pay legal bills of £1200 relating to his attempts to gag the Oxford Tab.

Thames Valley Police have confirmed that "A 21-year-old man from Oxford, arrested today on suspicion of rape and attempted rape, has been released on bail until 18 June."

Oxford University has refused to comment on the matter as it remains an active investigation. 

Varsity and CUSU Women's Campaign's recently found in a survey on sexual violence in Cambridge that this problem is endemic, with 4.4 per cent of female respondents and 1.5 per cent of male respondents having experienced serious sexual assault.