A student society has been banned by its university after putting on a play which included a character being drugged and raped.
The play, written by members of Liverpool Medical Students Society, was intended to be performed at an annual event named Smoker, and was titled "James Bond in Hymens are Forever". It featured characters such as James Bondage and Mrs Sluttypenny, and was accused of mocking the anti-rape slogan 'no means no'.
Liverpool University's investigation into the play began in 2014. At the time, the university, the Liverpool Guild of Students and the Liverpool Medical Student Society released a joint statement. They said: "The university, the Guild of Students and the Liverpool Medical Students’ Society are shocked at the content of this material which is clearly unacceptable."
The society were in talks with both the university and the university and the Guild of Students. Originally a spokesperson for the society was invited to draw up an action plan to address the society's issues, however the society has now been de-ratified, meaning from the first of February it will be refused access to university and guild services.
Justification for the de-ratification of the society was given in an email by the university and the Liverpool Guild of Students. They said: "Unfortunately, a full and completed action plan has not been forthcoming and the LMSS officers refused to engage with the chair of the investigation panel."
The society has responded to this news in a letter, published in the Liverpool University's student paper The Sphinx accusing the university and the Guild of unjust actions. The letter argues: "Accusations of non-cooperation are frankly untrue, as the LMSS Officers repeatedly attempted to arrange meetings with the Guild which appeared to be ignoted".
LMSS also said: “We were intimidated and incensed by [the] threats of Fitness to Practice…and felt that a society matter had been dragged down to a personal level."