Man charged after seven women sexually assaulted in 30 minutes on UK campus

Police called to Huddersfield University on Tuesday after women reported being ‘approached and grabbed’

A 29-year-old man has been charged after seven women reported being sexually assaulted on the Huddersfield University campus over a 30 minute period.

West Yorkshire police said Sophan Akbash had been charged with nine counts of sexual assault and would appear at Leeds magistrates court on Friday. Security staff called officers to Huddersfield University on Tuesday evening after reports of a man approaching and sexually touching women on and near the campus, police said.

Officers said seven women had been sexually assaulted by a suspect between 6 and 6.30pm on Tuesday. The women “had made off” from a suspect “after he approached and grabbed at them”, police added.

On Friday, the force confirmed that Akbash, of Huddersfield, had been charged with nine counts of sexual assault.

Earlier this week, Det Insp Sarah Bradley of West Yorkshire police said: “We continue to work closely with our partners at the university to provide reassurance to students and staff, and remain fully committed to supporting victims and safeguarding those who live, study and work in Huddersfield.”

The university’s deputy vice-chancellor, Prof Tim Thornton, said on Wednesday: “We recognise that incidents of this nature are deeply concerning and we are providing wellbeing support to anyone affected.

“As a precaution, we have increased security patrols around campus and are encouraging all members of our community to make use of our SafeZone app, which provides direct access to emergency assistance, wellbeing support and our campus support and safety team. We remain committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for everyone who studies, works and visits our campus.”