A former professor at the University of Oxford has been convicted of rape just months after being acquitted.

Tariq Ramadan was found guilty of rape and sexual coercion in a Geneva hotel in October 2008 after a decision at a Swiss appeals court today (Tuesday, September 10).

A professor of contemporary Islamic studies at Oxford until November 2017, he also held visiting roles at universities in both Morocco and Qatar.

The Islamic scholar was acquitted of the charges in May and was subsequently awarded around 151,000 Swiss francs (£135,000) in compensation from the Swiss canton of Geneva over the case.

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Mr Ramadan was formerly a professor at the University of Oxford.Mr Ramadan was formerly a professor at the University of Oxford. (Image: Oxford Mail)

Mr Ramadan’s accuser was repeatedly raped and subjected to “torture and barbarism” according to her lawyers.

The former Oxford scholar disputed this and rejected the charges, claiming that instead, he was the victim of a “trap” and that no sexual activity occurred.

The victim was in her 40s at the time of the alleged assault 15-years-ago but she filed a complaint 10 years later.

She told the court she felt she should come forward after similar complaints against Mr Ramadan were filed in France.

Both parties did agree the pair spent the night together in the hotel room with the victim leaving early the following morning.

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Ramadan told the court that Brigitte had come to the room on her own accord by inviting herself before then allowing herself to be kissed before the encounter quickly ended.

The indictment accused the professor of committing rape three times during the night as well as sexual coercion as the defence insisted on his innocence and stressed there was no scientific evidence.

Brigitte and the other women who have brought charges against Ramadan were accused by the scholar’s lawyers of forging links to bring down the Islamic scholar, citing 'Ramadanphobia'.

Earlier this year during his final statements, the political figure asked not to be tried on his “real or supposed ideology” and urged the judges to not be “influenced by the media and political noise”.

“Forget I'm Tariq Ramadan,” he said.

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The University of Oxford.The University of Oxford. (Image: Oriel College)

A figure who is controversial among secularists as he is seen as a supporter of political Islam, Ramadan gained a doctorate from the University of Geneva.

The qualification featured a thesis regarding his grandfather who was the founder of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement.

After the rape allegations surfaced in France at the height of the 'Me Too' movement, Ramadan was forced to take a leave of absence.

These allegations are over suspected attacks between 2009 and 2016.

Ramadan can appeal to Switzerland’s highest court.

The University of Oxford has been contacted for comment. 

Ramadan had left the university by mutual agreement on the basis of early retirement on grounds of ill-health.

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