“Lawyers and women’s groups have condemned a decision by Cambridge University to not investigate some students’ complaints of sexual misconduct, including rape, warning it was potentially unlawful.

Their comments came after a ruling this summer that sexual misconduct should no longer be covered by the university’s general disciplinary regulations for students.

Two female students have been informed that their complaints of sexual assault and rape will not be taken forward because of the decision, according to the Cambridge student newspaper Varsity.

It reported that one of the chairs of Cambridge’s disciplinary committee, which is independent of the university’s central administration, ruled in June that sexual misconduct should not fall under the definition of harassment set out in the general regulations for discipline.”