‘Breathtaking’: education ministers approve national ombudsman to tackle sexual assault at Australian universities

Announcement comes after student survey found one in 20 students had been sexually assaulted since starting university and one in six had reported being sexually harassed

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Australia's first independent watchdog to tackle gender-based violence on university campuses has been given the green light by education ministers - in a move hailed as breathtaking" by student safety advocates.

The national ombudsman, tasked with overseeing sexual assault complaints at universities, was the key pillar of a plan commissioned by the federal government to address student safety concerns.

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