Oxford University student, 20, killed himself after becoming victim of ‘cancel culture’, inquest finds

An Oxford University student committed suicide after falling victim to ‘cancel culture’, an inquest has heard.

Corpus Christi College student Alexander Rogers died in January this year after entering the River Thames.

Friends described him as someone who, after his death, would “fill a room with his laughter and smiles.”

But today an inquest heard the 20-year-old was a victim of ‘cancel culture’ when his peers shunned him after an unreported accusation.

As a result, he was ‘exiled’, which led to him killing himself, a coroner concluded.

The student was described by friends as the ‘example of what is good in this world’, who ran a marathon in June to raise money for a suicide prevention charity.

A serious incidents investigation led by Dr Dominique Thompson, an external expert, found there was a ‘pervasive culture of social exclusion’ that had been ‘normalised’. This led to the exclusion of students accused of misconduct without evidence, according to the review. This is reported by Oxford Mail.

The accusation was not disclosed.

Although the university was unaware of this culture before the report, it has since accepted its recommendations, the court heard.

A joint spokesperson for the university and college said: ‘Oxford University and Corpus Christi College extend our deepest condolences to Alexander’s family and everyone in our community saddened by his tragic death.’

The council said the council had ordered a review of all learnings in this case to minimize the chances of such a death again.

It stressed that the well-being of its students remains “our absolute priority” and is committed to maintaining the safety of those in the university community.

The college went on to describe Mr Rogers as a “talented student” who was “well-known and well-liked in the college community and beyond.”

Although the university was unaware of the “pervasive culture of social exclusion” before the report, it has since accepted its recommendations.

It added that while the loss of any young life is tragic, the council felt his death “particularly keenly”.

Mr Roger’s family said it was their priority that the culture of social exclusion was recognized to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

They requested and received a report to prevent future deaths. The coroner, Nicholas Graham, will now send a letter to the Department for Education inviting it to reflect on the widespread ‘cancel culture’ in higher education.

Mr Graham extended his condolences to the family, adding: ‘Although what we are dealing with here is in the best interests of the public, the family must additionally bear the unique burden of grief, which is heavy.

“From what we have heard, Alexander was an extremely able and popular young man and his passing is sad indeed.”

He added that the student “suffered serious head injuries,” which was the medical cause of death.

The coroner concluded suicide.

Since the tragic death, a JustGiving page was set up in June by Mr Roger’s friends who ran the Salisbury Plain Marathon, which between them raised almost £10,000 for the Papyrus UK Suicide Prevention charity.

The post read: “The loss of Zander has been seismic. He was and is the embodiment of what is good in this world; kind, warm, funny and a great friend to many.’