Two men involved in a student message group that aimed rape threats at women at Warwick University will not be returning to the campus, its vice-chancellor has said, heading off a backlash against an earlier decision to allow them to restart their studies.

Stuart Croft revealed on Monday evening that the two men would not be returning to the university, in what appears to have been a voluntary decision on their part.

The two male undergraduates had been banned from the campus for 10 years after their involvement in the message group came to light. The university’s disciplinary panel reduced the term to one year after they appealed.

The result of the appeal created widespread controversy, with the university accused of “forgetting about the victims” since the pair would be able to return later this year and potentially study alongside female students named in the messages.

In his statement Croft said: “We are committed to ensuring the safety of our community. I have today spoken to the two young men concerned and confirm that neither of them will be returning to the university.

“I am continuing to listen to the views of students, staff and all members of our community here at Warwick and support them so that we can learn from this experience.”

Croft’s announcement heads off mounting concern on and off campus, after one of the women involved posted an open letter last week saying she was terrified of encountering the men again.

“Words cannot describe the heartbreak that overcame myself and other victims. We were discussed so violently. We were humiliated, as if for sport,” the woman wrote, saying the events had caused anxiety and depression.

But after Croft’s announcement, one of the women targeted told the Boar, the university’s student newspaper: “I think it’s important to remember this isn’t a victory for any of us really. We’ve had to fight this and have been through a horrendous process, the men have wasted a year of their lives and haven’t been able to just move on because the university made a commitment to take them back that was simply untenable.

She added: “It’s still a sad time to be a Warwick student.”

Senior academics and heads of department had protested to Croft at the result of the appeal, while a number of Warwick alumni contacted the university to express their dismay. A student protest meeting had been planned for Wednesday afternoon at the campus near Coventry.

Matt Western, the MP for Warwick and Leamington, had also called on the university to rescind the appeal, while an online petition rapidly gained thousands of signatures.

Social media was awash over the weekend with criticism of the university’s stance. In several cases parents of prospective students and applicants themselves declared they would not consider applying to Warwick.

The contents of the group chats were originally revealed by the Boar in 2018. They included graphic rape and sexual assault threats aimed at named female students, known to the men involved. The chats included racist and homophobic abuse.

After an investigation by the university, four students were suspended and one was given a lifetime ban. Two were originally banned for 10 years while two were excluded for one year – and it was the discrepancy between the two terms that led to the appeal by the pair with the 10-year bans.