School distances itself from 'rape' site

SYDNEY, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- The leaders of a venerable Australian private college say they're distancing themselves from a Web page made by students advocating rape.

The Rev. Dr. Ian Head, warden of the all-male St. Paul's College -- one of Sydney's oldest schools -- pointed out to Australia's Radio National the Facebook Web page, created by past and current St. Paul's residents, has no connection to the school itself, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported Monday.

"This is not a college site," Head said. "Men stand or fall -- and indeed women stand or fall -- by statements that they make that enter the public domain, and that is basically it really. That is basically the most effective preliminary response we can make. There has been no disciplinary action directed as yet against any particular student."

ABC says the Facebook page has enraged female students, who accuse St. Paul's of not taking rape allegations against male students seriously. The Web page's authors describe themselves as "pro-rape" and "anti-consent."

"Putting a page on Facebook encouraging rape is absolutely unacceptable and it does say to us that we have an awful long way to go," New South Wales Minister for Women Linda Burney told ABC.