Police investigating reports of WhatsApp group 'encouraging sexual violence' in Falmouth
Falmouth University is working with officers to find out if it's genuine
Police in Cornwall are investigating reports of a WhatsApp group relating to a hoax which encourages sexual violence.
Officers have received a report of messages involving students from Falmouth University about the global TIkTok "24th April Hoax".
The university says it is working with police to support their investigation into the credibility of this group and whether it is genuine.
A spokesperson from Falmouth University has told us:
"We are aware of a number of messages and social media posts circulating in relation to the abhorrent global TikTok “24 April Hoax” encouraging sexual violence.
"There is no evidence that reports of these posts and purported related discussions are genuine, or that there is a genuine threat, but it is clear that the issue is causing distress to our community and we therefore want to make clear that we are taking this issue seriously.
"We are actively working with the Police to support their investigations and the University will take a zero-tolerance approach to anyone found participating in any related group chats (whether private or public), or engaging with the content in a way that could reasonably be foreseen to cause distress or emotional harm, whether intended or not.
"We would strongly encourage anyone with information about individuals engaged in any such discussions to come forward and support the University, to ensure our campus remains a safe and inclusive environment and so that enquires can be progressed.
"If students have been personally affected by the issue, they can find support at studentservices@fxplus.ac.uk__."
A spokesperson from Devon and Cornwall Police also said:
“Police have received a report of the existence of the WhatsApp group and are currently making enquiries regarding the credibility of the group.”