Although Fiona Drouet says it’s “painful we can’t do anything to bring back my daughter”, she now “firmly believes” that if her daughter were a student of Aberdeen University today, the tragic outcome of events in 2016 “would have been very different”.
Mrs Drouet, the mother of 18-year-old student, Emily Drouet, who took her own life in halls of residence at Aberdeen University in 2016, has made it her mission to ensure that as few other families as possible have to suffer the impact of gender-based violence (GBV).
And now, the university where her child died has been awarded the EmilyTest Charter for its outstanding commitment to tackling GBV and building a safer campus environment for youngsters under its care.
Emily Drouet: The case shocked officials
Ms Drouet killed herself after being subjected to a sustained campaign of physical and psychological abuse by fellow law student, Angus Milligan, who was given 180 hours of community service in 2017.
The case shocked officials after it emerged the frightened teenager had not been offered any help in the midst of her struggles, despite approaching a student resident assistant.
However, university officials have said it is “a very different institution from the one which Emily attended” and added they were delighted to earn the charter recognition.
Nick Edwards, deputy director of people at the university, said: “Achieving the EmilyTest Charter Award is welcome recognition of the hard work being done and I would like to thank all those who continue to support the university’s Aberdeen 2040 commitment to promote inclusion and provide support for our community.
“A special thanks go to Fiona for her steadfast support to me and the team in all the work that we do together.
‘We will never forget Emily’ says university deputy director
“While this achievement is something to celebrate, it only marks a point on our continual journey with regards to tackling gender-based violence at the university and is by no means the end of it.
“We are committed to continually learning in this area and enhancing our support for victim/survivors. We will never forget Emily or what happened to her in 2016 and this fuels our ongoing and unwavering commitment to fight GBV in all its forms.”
Mother’s praise for university
Mrs Drouet MBE, the founder and chief executive of EmilyTest has campaigned tirelessly since the tragedy to encourage universities and colleges in Scotland to build better relationships with students and make interventions when they are required.
She said: “We firmly believe that if Emily were a student at the university today, the outcome would have been very different. The transformation is astounding and it is a result of a deep commitment by strong and genuine leadership.
‘Everything is being done to help’
“We believe students will now receive the help, safeguarding and support that Emily so desperately needed. That, of course, is painful given the enormity of our loss.
“But we gain comfort from knowing that everything is being done to ensure that no other student finds themselves in Emily’s shoes, and if they do, that they will receive the support which they so desperately need”.
“We extend our heartfelt congratulations and thanks to Nick Edwards and his team for their incredible dedication to developing a safe campus and their unwavering commitment to getting this right for every student.
“They are a credit to the university and a pleasure to work alongside”.
There is no room for complacency
Recent ONS data – from 2022 – revealed that students were four times more likely to be subjected to sexual violence than those in other occupations.
Mrs Drouet believes that this statistic, allied to the many voices of victim and survivors, highlights the urgent need for the implementation of the charter – which has the backing of the Scottish Government – to protect young people and give them the best chance of completing their education, free from the threat of GBV.
Further information can be found at www.emilytest.org
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