An Oxford University doctoral student accused of raping a woman is set to walk free after a second jury failed to reach a verdict.

Statistician Sherman Ip, 25, allegedly forced the woman down onto his bed and pulled off her clothes before launching the attack on May 14, 2013.

But Ip told jurors “she consented” and said he thought “everything was normal” when they had sex at her parents’ house the following day.

The woman, who cannot be identified, claimed she fled Ip’s apartment in tears after he forced her onto his bed, pulled her clothes off and raped her.

Southwark Crown Court in London heard that Ip’s alleged victim sent him a private Facebook message saying what happened was “semi-rape” and pressed charges in October 2014 after receiving a text from him saying: “I am really sorry for raping you.”

But Ip told jurors he sent the apology because “I wanted to get [her] back and I would do anything to get back with her.”

Two juries have now failed to reach a verdict on a single charge of rape.

Ip is unlikely to face a third trial, but prosecutors are expected to make a final decision within a week.

‘I am so sorry for emotionally abusing you and manipulating you to do things you didn’t want to do … I am really sorry for raping you.’ - Sherman Ip

Jurors heard the alleged victim fled in tears but decided not to go to police after sending him a message to tell him what he did was wrong.

She finally reported him to cops after receiving a text from the statistician in October 2014, the court was told.

It said: “I am so sorry for emotionally abusing you and manipulating you to do things you didn’t want to do.”

“I am really sorry for raping you. I am really sorry for hurting you. It’s all my fault.”

At the time of the alleged rape, Ip was studying for a master’s degree in physics from University College London.

He later moved to Oxford University for the first year of his Ph.D. as part of the Oxford Warwick Statistics Program. He is now at Warwick University.

Southwark Crown Court also heard that the woman was also a student at the time and had known Ip since 2012.

The alleged victim told her boyfriend in September 2013 — around four months after the alleged rape — but decided not to make a formal complaint.

Prosecutor David Povall said: “What drove her to go to the police was a message she received from him in October 2014.”

Ip told the court the woman came to his apartment because she “wanted to talk” on May 14, 2013, but they ended up having consensual sex.

Ip said: “She said ‘Let’s have sex’ and then she sat on the bed, laid on the bed.”

Povall asked: “And this was all, the two of you had sex and everything was all right, was it?”

“Everything was normal,” replied Ip.

He said the woman became jealous when he told her about his relationship with another girl.

Ip said they talked about it before having sex at her parents’ house on May 15, 2013.

Povall said: “I suggest that your reason for doing that is to try to say that she was lying about being raped the day before.”

Ip replied: “I wouldn’t have made up that event on the 15th … she wanted to have sex with me.”