Medical students raise alarm about three years of sexually harassing anonymous calls

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By Daniel Pye

The University of Manchester has launched an investigation after more than a dozen medical students complained of abusive calls from anonymous men.

The British Medical Association has written to the university to warn it was aware students had been subjected to verbal abuse, threats of stalking and intimidation, and sexual violence, with incidents dating back several years.

It followed a separate open letter published by final year student Charlotte Amelia Buttercase, which said the abuse targeted towards women at the medical school began in 2023.

Some 15 women have contributed to Butterworth’s report to the police of harassment.

The anonymous calls subjected women to scare tactics and sexual harassment, ranging from telling them they are being watched, to asking them to perform "sexual favours" or screaming gender-based slurs in the early hours of the morning, the open letter said.

“These men are anonymous to us,” she wrote. “They are currently faceless, we cannot see them, but we can hear them, feel them at all times.”

Safety is the minimum expectation for women at university and behaviour that is a prerequisite to sexual violence “is unacceptable on every count and shall not be tolerated anywhere, let alone by those being elevated to a public position of trust”, she said in the letter backed by more than 1,000 signatories.

In its own letter, the BMA’s medical students committee told the university it condemns the calls and “it is particularly shocking to hear that other students may be perpetrating these acts”.

Not only are these actions incompatible with careers as a clinician, but they are in many cases criminal offences, the letter stated.

The union praised the courage taken by the students who have come forward, but added “we are concerned that there may be many incidents which have not yet been reported”.

A BMA poll last year found that two in five female students reported experiencing sexual harassment or assault at medical school.

Professor Ashley Blom, vice-president and dean of the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, said: “I am grateful to everyone who has brought these issues to our attention and showed courage and leadership in standing up. I strongly encourage anyone who has experienced or witnessed similar behaviour to come forward so that we can take appropriate action.

“This behaviour is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated under any circumstances. No member of our community should ever be made to feel unsafe, intimidated, or harassed.

“We are treating this with the utmost seriousness. We are making sure affected students are properly supported. We have launched a formal investigation into the specific incidents, and we will undertake a comprehensive review of the cultural and systemic issues raised.”

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