University of Canterbury law student accused of sexual assault will travel overseas on study trip

University of Canterbury dean of law Ursula Cheer.

A Canterbury University law student being investigated for a sexual assault has been allowed to go overseas on a study-related trip.

But the university's dean of law Ursula Cheer is refusing to discuss the matter.

"I can't comment about any of this because of confidentiality and privacy," she told Star.kiwi yesterday.

The Star has learned a female student has laid a complaint about the accused being allowed to go on the trip. It is understood it is not the same person who has laid the sexual assault complaint to the police.

The Star has been told it is a rape investigation.

The Star sent a number of questions to Canterbury University yesterday but none would be answered.

Canterbury University spokeswoman Margaret Agnew said: "UC cannot respond to allegations that are before the police."

She referred the questions back to Cheer. Her phone was turned off.

Police would also not comment on the matter.

The overseas trip involves both male and female law students.

In February, Cheer wrote a letter on behalf of all university law school's in New Zealand to Auckland law firm Russell McVeagh over their handling of sexual assault allegations.

In it she accused the firm of putting clients above student victims and misleading university authorities.

Cheer called the culture, which was tolerated at the firm, "unacceptable."

New Zealand Law Society Canterbury-Westland branch president Grant Tyrrell said he didn't want to interfere with the university's processes without knowing the ins and outs of the situation, when asked about it yesterday.

"The university is entitled to their own presumptions."

- Star.kiwi