Credit: Daily Record
News Editor & Editor
Convicted paedophile Christopher Daniel has been suspended as a student from the University of Glasgow.
Daniel was studying dentistry at the University prior to his suspension. A spokesperson for the University has confirmed that he is not currently on campus.
It is unclear when Daniel was suspended as such information is kept confidential under data protection laws and University rules. The University were not able to investigate the case until criminal proceedings closed. Daniel is to remain suspended until the University concludes its investigation, which is currently underway. A spokesperson for the University said: “We cannot comment on individual circumstances or on what further action will be taken in this regard, but the University of Glasgow has very clear procedures for dealing with cases such as this and these are currently being pursued.”
The University’s investigation into Daniel could potentially trigger a subsequent investigation into his fitness to practice as a student of dentistry.
Daniel was found guilty of repeated sexual assault against a six year old in December 2018, but received an absolute discharge. As a result, Daniel will not be listed on the sex offenders’ register and while he has been found guilty, he will not be subject to any punishment or probationary measures.
The Justice Office for Scotland stated that the absolute discharge was delivered to avoid “serious consequences in terms of the accused’s future career”, claiming that a criminal sentence would potentially prevent Daniel from continuing his course at Glasgow University.
A petition has since been launched calling for a review of Sheriff Gerard Sinclair’s controversial decision to grant Daniel an absolute discharge. 11,450 people have signed the petition at the time of writing.
Campus security and other relevant student services have been notified of the suspension, per University policy, however none of the independent student bodies have been made officially aware of the suspension.
SRC President Lauren McDougall stated: “The SRC are very involved with the Conduct processes and we have recently instigated a review of Student Conduct to ensure that elements, including precautionary suspensions and training for Conduct Committee members, are reviewed with our input and are fit for purpose. The University have been really responsive to this and we’re pleased with the progress. The SRC also successfully lobbied the University 2 years ago to explicitly include sexual violence and abuse as misconduct within the Code of Student Conduct, making it abundantly clear that this behaviour will not be tolerated.”
