Can the university continue investigating harassment or sexual misconduct if

Short answer

Yes. In England and Wales a university can generally continue an investigation into harassment or sexual misconduct even if you, as the reporting party, decide to withdraw your report. Whether it actually does so is a matter of judgement for the institution, applying its own disciplinary and complaints procedures, and it will weigh your wishes carefully against its wider duties. Withdrawal is a significant factor, but it is not an automatic end to the process.

Why withdrawal does not automatically stop matters

A student complaint of misconduct is not like a private civil claim that only you control. Once a report is made, the university has its own responsibilities that exist independently of your wishes. These include a duty of care to its wider student and staff community, obligations under health and safety and equality law, and the expectations set for the sector by the Office for Students (OfS) and the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA).

The OfS Statement of Expectations on preventing and addressing harassment and sexual misconduct, and the new OfS registration condition and OIA Good Practice Framework on handling reports of harassment and sexual misconduct, encourage providers to take reports seriously and to protect the wider community. That can mean continuing where there is a risk to others, even if the individual who reported no longer wishes to pursue it.

Most university procedures (for example the type of policy used at large institutions such as Manchester) expressly provide that where a reporting party withdraws a formal report, it is at the investigator’s or the university’s discretion whether to continue to a conclusion or refer the matter to a disciplinary panel, taking into account the stage of the investigation and the interests of the parties.

Factors the university will weigh

Whether the university continues typically depends on a balancing exercise. Relevant considerations usually include the seriousness of the alleged conduct, any risk the respondent may pose to you or to others, whether there are other reports or a pattern of behaviour, the strength and availability of evidence independent of your continued participation, how far the investigation has progressed, the wishes and welfare of the reporting party, and fairness to the respondent.

The more serious the allegation and the greater the perceived ongoing risk, the more likely the university is to continue despite withdrawal. Conversely, where the allegation is less serious, involves only the two of you, and depends heavily on your own account and cooperation, withdrawal may in practice bring the matter to an end because the case cannot fairly be proved without you.

Your continued involvement and evidence

Withdrawing your report is not the same as being forced to give evidence. Even if the university decides to continue, you cannot ordinarily be compelled to participate, attend interviews or appear before a panel. However, information you have already provided may still be used, and the university may rely on other evidence such as witnesses, messages, CCTV, or previous statements. It is worth clarifying with the university, in writing, exactly what withdrawal will and will not mean in your case, including whether material you have already shared will still be used.

Precautionary measures

Separately from any investigation, universities can and often do impose precautionary or interim measures while a concern exists, such as no-contact arrangements, changes to accommodation, timetable or teaching arrangements, or restrictions on the respondent’s access to particular places. These are risk-management steps, not findings of guilt, and they can remain in place based on the university’s assessment of risk regardless of whether you formally pursue the complaint. If you are worried about your safety or ongoing contact, you can ask for these to continue even after withdrawing.

Confidentiality and anonymity

You may be able to ask the university to keep the matter confidential or to limit what is disclosed, but this is not guaranteed. The university must act fairly towards the respondent, which usually means the respondent is entitled to know the substance of any allegation being investigated against them. If your reason for withdrawing is fear of the respondent knowing, or concern about the process, raise this directly, because the university may be able to offer support, adjustments or protective measures rather than simply closing the case.

Support available to you

Whatever you decide, you should be able to access support independently of the disciplinary process. This typically includes the students’ union advice service, the university’s wellbeing, counselling and student support teams, and specialist external services. If the conduct may amount to a crime, you can also report to the police, and specialist sexual violence support organisations can help you regardless of whether you pursue a police or university complaint. Reporting to the police is a separate route and withdrawing your university report does not prevent, or require, a police report.

If you disagree with what the university decides

If you are unhappy with how the university handles your withdrawal, or with a decision to continue or to stop, you can use the university’s internal complaints procedure. Once that is exhausted and you receive a Completion of Procedures letter, you can, as a student, refer the matter to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, which reviews whether the provider acted fairly and in line with its own procedures and good practice.

Practical next steps

1. Read the specific policy that applies to you. Ask the university for the exact harassment and sexual misconduct or student disciplinary procedure and look at what it says about withdrawing a report.

2. Put your position in writing. Tell the case handler that you wish to withdraw and why, and ask them to confirm in writing what will happen next, whether the investigation will continue, and how any information you have already given will be used.

3. Ask about protective measures. If safety or ongoing contact is a concern, request that no-contact or other precautionary arrangements remain in place even though you are withdrawing.

4. Seek support. Contact your students’ union advice service and university wellbeing team, and consider specialist external support if the conduct was sexual in nature.

5. Keep your options open. Note that you can usually re-engage later, and that university, police and any civil routes are separate, so withdrawing one does not close the others.

Key missing facts

The precise answer depends on your particular university’s procedure, the nature and seriousness of the alleged conduct, whether there are other complainants or ongoing risk, how far the investigation has progressed, and your reasons for withdrawing. If you can share the relevant policy wording and roughly what stage things are at, a more specific answer can be given.