Man charged with nine counts of sexual assault at University of Huddersfield

A 29-year-old man has been charged with sexually assaulting seven women on and near the University of Huddersfield campus.

Charges and court appearance

Sophan Akbash, of Cross Lane, Huddersfield, has been charged with nine counts of sexual assault. West Yorkshire Police said he will appear at Leeds Magistrates' Court. The police force stated the incident occurred around and near the University of Huddersfield between 5.45pm and 7pm on Tuesday 11 November.

Police statement

West Yorkshire Police said officers were called to the university on Tuesday evening following reports of a man approaching and sexually touching women. The force said seven women were separately assaulted in the space of 30 minutes. Officers said seven women had been sexually assaulted by a suspect between 6pm and 6.30pm on Tuesday. The women “had made off” from a suspect “after he approached and grabbed at them”, police added.

Det Insp Sarah Bradley 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.”

University response

Prof Tim Thornton, the university's deputy vice-chancellor, said the university was working closely with police and that “the safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and visitors is our highest priority”.

Prof Thornton also said: “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.”

Why it matters

The case involves multiple reported sexual assaults on a university campus in a short timeframe, prompting increased security patrols and wellbeing support for students and staff.

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Sources

• bbc.com: Man charged over multiple sex assaults at Huddersfield University
• theguardian.com: Man charged after seven women sexually assaulted in 30 minutes on UK campus | UK news | The Guardian
• westyorkshire.police.uk: Man charged with sexual assaults, Huddersfield | West Yorkshire Police

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.