In the clear after six weeks of agony: Oxford Union president accused of rape is told by police they are taking no further action

Ben Sullivan, 21, arrested last month in his room at historic university



He was accused of raping one woman and attempting to rape another

Today Thames Valley Police confirmed they will not pursue a prosecution



Several speakers cancelled appearances at world-famous debating society

In the clear: No further action will be taken against Oxford Union President Ben Sullivan

The president of the Oxford Union will not face charges over claims he raped one fellow student and attacked another.

Ben Sullivan, a third-year undergraduate, was arrested at dawn early last month in his college room at Christ Church and has been on bail for six weeks.

Yesterday police informed the 21-year-old that no further action would be taken against him following an investigation into the allegations, thought to have been made by the young women more than a year ago.

Mr Sullivan's arrest rocked the prestigious 200-year-old debating society, a breeding ground for political leaders whose former presidents include cabinet ministers William Hague and Michael Gove, London Mayor Boris Johnson and prime ministers from William Gladstone and Herbert Asquith to Edward Heath.

Publicity surrounding the case sparked a boycott campaign by students that saw a host of high-profile speakers cancel their appearances.

A picture of banker's son Mr Sullivan in evening suit and bow tie made headlines across the world, even though he had not been charged.

Human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkol Karman, Interpol secretary-general Robert Noble, US entrepreneur Julie Meyer and David Mepham, the UK director of Human Rights Watch, were all said to have pulled out of debates at the Oxford Union citing concerns about Mr Sullivan's arrest.



A letter written by student politicians to around 30 speakers who had been booked to attend asked them to boycott the Union, and for Mr Sullivan to resign in what they called a 'push for equality'.

The letter, by student union official Sarah Pine, was signed by feminist activists Laurie Penny and Caroline Criado-Perez.

Case dropped: Ben Sullivan, 21, will face no further action over allegations of rape and attempted rape

Mr Sullivan, a former pupil at £22,000-a-year St Paul's School in London, repeatedly rejected calls to stand down as president while the police carried out their investigation. He avoided a vote of no confidence after fellow Union officers defeated a motion to call one by a single vote.

The rape was alleged to have occurred in January 2013 and the attempted rape in April 2013.

Last night Nigel Evans, the Tory MP and former Deputy Speaker of the Commons who was cleared of a number of rape and sexual assault charges earlier this year at Preston Crown Court, said Mr Sullivan's case demonstrated the need for alleged rapists to be given anonymity until they are charged.

Mr Sullivan, 21, will face no charges after police decided there was insufficient evidence

Mr Evans, who has been supporting the student, said: 'To go through the torture of a public trial by students is appalling.

'Anonymity would have made his life easier by a great margin. It would still have been very stressful but he wouldn't have had to put up with people dropping out of speaking at the Union and a vote of no confidence in him. It gives further credibility to my campaign to have that. The glare of publicity this lad went through is appalling.' Mr Evans is calling for the Home Affairs Select Committee to investigate the granting of anonymity to arrested sex offenders until they are charged.

A judge could still decide to name them if the circumstances were exceptional, he said. Last month Jennifer Perry, an author who was booked at speak at the Union on stalking and harassment, said she felt uncomfortable about the feminist boycott.

She said: 'It shouldn't be a group of young women making that decision; it should be in the hands of the police. This campaign could harm their investigations.'

Mr Sullivan, a history and politics student who is taking his final exams this summer, was informed yesterday afternoon there would no charges. He spent a quiet evening with his family.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said: 'We have decided that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute a 21-year-old man from Oxford who was arrested following a complaint of rape and a complaint of attempted rape made by two women. We will be writing to the complainants to explain our decision in more detail.'

The Union released a statement last night saying: 'As far as the Society is concerned, this is the end of the matter. We would like to thank Mr Sullivan for his work as president under the most difficult of circumstances and wish him well for the future.'