Oxford University student, 20, killed himself after becoming victim of ‘cancel culture’, inquest finds

An Oxford University student killed himself after becoming a victim of ‘cancel culture’ an inquest has found.

Corpus Christi College student Alexander Rogers died after entering the River Thames in January this year.

Friends described him as someone who ‘would fill up a room with his laughs and smiles’ in tributes after his death.

But today an inquest heard the 20-year-old was the victim of ‘cancel culture’ when his peers shunned him following an unreported allegation.

As a result of this, he was ‘ostracised’ which led to him taking his own life, a coroner concluded.

The student was described as the ‘epitome of what is good in this world’ by friends, who in June ran a marathon in a fundraising effort for a suicide prevention charity.

A serious incident review headed by Dr Dominique Thompson, an external expert, found a ‘pervasive culture of social ostracisation’ which was ‘normalised’. This, according to the review, led to the exclusion of students accused of wrongdoing without evidence, Oxford Mail reports.

It was not revealed what the allegation was.

Although the university was not aware of this culture before the report, it has since accepted its recommendations, the court heard.

A joint spokesman for the university and college said: ‘Oxford University and Corpus Christi College extend our deepest sympathies to Alexander’s family and everyone in our community who has been saddened by his tragic death.’

It said the college commissioned the review of all learning in this case to minimise the chance of such a death happening again.

It stressed the well-being of its students remains ‘our absolute priority’ and is committed to maintaining the safety of those in the university community.

The college went on to describe Mr Rogers as a ‘talented student’ who was ‘well known and liked in the college community and beyond’.

Although the university was not aware of the ‘pervasive culture of social ostracisation’ before the report it has since accepted its recommendations, it was heard

It added that while the loss of any young life is tragic, the college has felt his death ‘particularly keenly’.

Mr Roger’s family said their priority was for the culture of social ostracisation to be recognised in order to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

They requested and were granted a prevention of future death report. The coroner, Nicholas Graham, will now send a letter to the Department for Education inviting it to consider the prevalence of ‘cancel culture’ across higher education.

Mr Graham expressed his condolences to the family and added: ‘While what we are dealing with here is in the interest of the public the family additionally has to carry the unique burden of grief, which is a heavy one.

‘From what we have heard, Alexander was an extremely able and popular young man and his passing is sad indeed.’

He added that the student ‘had sustained a severe head injury’ which was the medical cause of death.

The coroner gave a conclusion of suicide.

Since the tragic death, a JustGiving page was set up in June by Mr Roger’s friends running the Salisbury Plain Marathon which collectively raised nearly £10,000 for Papyrus UK Suicide Prevention charity.

The post said: ‘The loss of Zander has been seismic. He was and is the epitome of what is good in this world; kind, warm, funny, and an incredible friend to so many.’