Man charged following alleged sexual assaults at university campus

A 29-year-old man has been charged with sexual assaults on a number of women after an incident at a university campus.

Officers were called to Huddersfield University on Tuesday by security staff following several reports of a man approaching and sexually touching women around and near the campus, West Yorkshire Police said.

They said at the time that seven women had been approached and sexually assaulted by a suspect between 6pm and 6.30pm on Tuesday evening.

All the women had made off from a suspect after he approached and grabbed at them, the force said.

On Friday, the force confirmed that Sophan Akbash, of Cross Lane, Huddersfield, had been charged with nine counts of sexual assault and would appear at Leeds Magistrates’ Court the same day.

Earlier this week, Detective Inspector 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 of Huddersfield deputy vice-chancellor Professor Tim Thornton said on Wednesday: “We recognise that incidents of this nature are deeply concerning and we are providing well-being 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, well-being 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.”