WHEN Dr Lee Salter was arrested on suspicion of attacking his girlfriend the alarm bells should have been ringing loud and clear at the University of Sussex.

A lecturer accused of punching and knocking out a pupil, stamping on her and throwing salt in her face?

Allison Smith was not being taught by Salter. But it was still a relationship frowned upon by many. He had wooed her after meeting at an induction day. None of this comes across as a great news day for the university.

But to compound the awful goings on the university left a young girl who has been taken advantage of by a lecturer out to dry.

She had to attend lectures and go to university knowing the man who assaulted her was around any corner.

Salter continued to teach and was still on the payroll right up until his sentence.

And then only after she and her friends had made such a fuss did the university come out to say that Salter had finally been sent packing for his awful actions.

The new vice chancellor Adam Tickell has not started yet but is making all the right noises about taking action here.

So that is promising for students.

Victims must be looked after in cases like this. Salter should have been suspended and hung out to dry, not his victim.

There are cases where accusations are unfounded, but courts can clear people of wrongdoing later. The first reaction must be for the sake of the victim.

Innocent until proven guilty is right. But more should have been done here to play it safe and look after a girl who had been wronged.