Pro-rape Facebook group condemned
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Facebook furore: The college says steps have been taken to express disapproval (ABC News)
A pro-rape group, started by past and present Sydney University students on Facebook, has been condemned as "sickening".
The New South Wales Minister for Women, Linda Burney, says the male students - reportedly mostly from the all-male St Paul's College at Sydney University - set up a pro-rape page on the social networking site.
Ms Burney says that while the group has since been shut down, Sydney University needs to look into the matter.
"The idea that a group of young men that are going to become leaders within our community - leaders in the law, leaders in medicine, leaders in business - studying at an elite college, at an elite university, think it's OK to post information like this encouraging rape on a website is absolutely abhorrent," she said.
"There's a real message in this story that these attitudes do exist and they exist in places you would not expect them.
"I'm sure that the families are horrified that their sons would have these sorts of attitudes."
The warden of St Paul's College, the Reverend Dr Ivan Head, says he only learned about the site late last week.
He says he has since spoken to several students and has condemned any incitement to rape, and that steps have been taken to express disapproval.
"We would condemn utterly any matters that derogated from the value of women, " he said.
Dr Head says at this stage no disciplinary action has been taken against any students.
The National Union of Students women's officer, Kaitlin Ferris, says the site shows the need for immediate action to change attitudes to women.
She says the reports are extremely disturbing and that if universities and colleges cannot guarantee the safety of their students, they should not be allowed to operate.
A spokesman for Sydney University says St Paul's college is a separate entity.
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