We were horrified by the vile messages which were sent to the Jewish Society via an open What app group last month. No-one should ever be subjected to such appalling abuse and we’re truly sorry that some of our students were targeted in this way. We alerted the police to the messages, and officers are investigating the incident with our full support and co-operation.

Working with the Jewish Society, we also carried out our own searches into the messages. We cannot find any evidence which connects the perpetrators to Warwick or identifies who they are.

We do not tolerate any form of discrimination or abuse towards any individual or group, and should we find any such link to Warwick, we will take swift and decisive action. Complaints will be investigated and reported to the police and other agencies where appropriate.

Whilst freedom of speech is a vital component of university life, we urge everyone to show respect, kindness and empathy to each other during these difficult times. These are the values we hold dear as a diverse and welcoming community. We have also highlighted to our community that Hamas is proscribed terrorist organisation and that is illegal to support them. It’s vital that our staff and students know there is help available to them. Anyone who has been impacted by these traumatic events, can access a range of specialist emotional support and practical help from us.

We have been meeting regularly with the Jewish Society and the multi-faith chaplaincy to discuss concerns and provide support and we will continue to do so. We will continue to keep our approach under review and are committed to working in close partnership with our students and staff to make them feel safe, listened to, and supported.