AUBURN, Ala. (WSFA) – College students at Auburn College say they’re outraged over a latest string of sexual assault instances. Three separate incidents have been reported to campus police in only one week, together with two alleged rapes.
The frustration over the latest stories sparked a protest at Toomer’s Corner Tuesday night. There have been over 100 college students who attended the demonstration, a few of them have been holding indicators that learn “Maintain him accountable” and “Sufficient is sufficient.”
“Everybody was outraged as a result of that was just like the third one in per week,” stated Auburn freshman Abby Hunsinger, referring to the latest sexual assault stories. She was among the many group of scholars who attended the protest.
“Everybody’s fed up about it and scared and indignant,” Hunsinger stated. “Auburn college students are conscious of the difficulty, and we’re indignant that there’s not change,” including she and her buddies don’t really feel secure on campus.
“My roommate got here house final night time and it was fairly late. Like, I used to be up doing homework, and she or he walks in and the very first thing she says was ‘I’m so terrified strolling house proper now,’” Hunsinger defined.
Based on college officers, on Sept. 8, the Auburn College Division of Campus Security & Safety notified college students after a lady reported being raped – as outline by the federal Clery Act – and bodily assaulted per week prior in an on-campus residential facility by an acquaintance.
Two days later, college students acquired one other alert. This time a lady reported to the campus security division that she was fondled by a stranger whereas strolling on Conflict Eagle Approach close to Aubie Corridor. She was strolling towards the Village Mail Loop when a male jogged previous her and grabbed her buttocks. The topic is described as an Asian male with quick darkish hair, roughly 5 ft, 10 inches to six ft tall, common construct and sporting a blue shirt, brown shorts and white tennis sneakers.
Video proof exhibits that this male subsequently tried to comply with two females into Oak Corridor with out success, then left campus on foot and headed east on West Magnolia Avenue.
On Sept. 14, a 3rd alert was launched to college students. This time a lady disclosed to police that she was raped Friday night time at a fraternity home. The sufferer didn’t recall the small print of the incident however disclosed bodily accidents in keeping with a rape.
Auburn College Division of Campus Security & Safety posted a message on Facebook about this incident that stated, “This incident was disclosed to police throughout response to an unrelated incident off campus. No official report has been made concerning the rape right now.”
The title of the fraternity has not but been launched.
“My buddies that could possibly be going to those events could possibly be probably placing themselves in peril with out figuring out it,” Hunsinger stated.
Auburn police stated they’re working with Auburn College to analyze these incidents.
“Though that now we have not acquired an precise report on a few of these incidents, the newest incidents of sexual assault, that we’re working with Auburn College personnel to analyze these incidents completely,” stated Clarence Stewart, assistant chief of the Auburn Police Division.
“I’d additionally like so as to add that I might actually extremely encourage these which have been a sufferer of a criminal offense, particularly sexual assault, to report it to us instantly. That approach we are able to ahead them to the right sources that now we have out there,” Stewart stated.
Within the meantime, protesters look forward to solutions.
“We’re all terrified to stroll alone,” Hunsinger stated. “I simply need to really feel secure on my campus.”
Stewart stated police usually are not disclosing data on any potential suspects, as these are nonetheless lively investigations.
Auburn College issued the next assertion on the incidents:
“The creation and upkeep of a secure setting for our college students will at all times be the very best precedence for Auburn. The three instances reported this week – one in a residence corridor, one on a campus sidewalk and one in a fraternity home – have solely intensified our dedication. Auburn prohibits sexual harassment and power-based private violence. We take motion to forestall it by way of a wide range of sexual assault consciousness and bystander intervention programming, in addition to security applications and sources.
When a criminal offense is formally reported by a member of our campus group, the College is ready to take much more aggressive steps to assist crime victims and maintain these accountable accountable. Within the present scenario, the victims of the three latest incidents selected to not file police stories or formal complaints with the College or native police, and we help their proper to take action.
Auburn College points Clery-required campus security notices relating to crime on or close to the college’s campus once we develop into conscious of such exercise, as we did with these three instances. We repeatedly present useful services and resources to our campus group impacted by such points.
Our security program contains the next:
- Auburn Police Division College Precinct officers who patrol the campus 24 hours a day.
- Auburn employed and contracted safety officers after hours.
- Almost 200 blue gentle emergency telephones that dial on to 911.
- 24-hour on-campus transportation.
- An intensive safety digital camera system.
- A free Auburn Security app, which incorporates options similar to “Good friend Stroll,” capability to submit a tip, “Find out how to Reply information” and sexual violence sources.
- Safe Harbor, a confidential useful resource, is a college service that helps these experiencing private violence, together with courting/home violence, sexual assault, and stalking/harassment. A 24/7 disaster cellphone quantity (334-844-7233) is accessible for these in search of assist.
Transparency, scholar outreach and scholar enter are crucial elements to our method to campus security. Pupil Affairs will host a city corridor occasion Wednesday, Sept. 22, to debate stopping and reporting sexual assault. Along with Pupil Affairs, representatives from Campus Security and Safety, the Auburn Police Division, SGA, Well being Promotion and Wellness and Title IX will probably be in attendance. The city corridor will happen 4 p.m. in the Pupil Actions Heart Auditorium. All are invited.”
Beneath is a listing of knowledge and sources despatched to scholar alongside an alert of a sexual assault on campus:
- Rape is towards the regulation and is a felony.
- It is vital for everybody concerned in a sexual act to provide consent to all points of the act. Consent is an affirmative, figuring out and voluntary choice, clearly communicated by way of phrases or actions, and applies to all points of the act. Consent granted for one act doesn’t imply consent for an additional.
- Rape shouldn’t be a criminal offense of sexual want. It’s a crime of hostility and violence towards the sufferer/survivor. Folks usually have interaction in sufferer blaming as a approach to protect the false perception that they are going to be secure from sexual assault “if solely” they don’t do what the sufferer did. Nonetheless, rape is rarely the sufferer/survivor’s fault. Solely the perpetrator chooses to commit sexual assault.
- It’s a fantasy that it will possibly’t occur to you. Sexual assault can occur to anybody, no matter age, race, class, faith, occupation, sexual orientation, gender, gender id, academic background, or bodily description.
If you’re a sufferer/survivor of sexual assault subsequent steps are your alternative. You might be inspired to:
- Protect proof. Don’t bathe or change your clothes.
- Dial 911 for emergency help or instantly go to the closest hospital to get medical care and request a sexual assault forensic examination (“rape equipment”).
- Take into account reporting it. Notification choices embrace:
- Dial 911 or 334-501-3100 to succeed in the Auburn Police Division. The police are the one entity that may examine a sexual assault for the technique of legal prosecution. It is vital for them to collect proof as quickly as potential.
- Dial 334-844-4794 to report the incident to the Auburn College title IX coordinator. The title IX workplace receives official complaints of violations of the college’s title IX sexual harassment coverage.
Rape kits might be collected on the following areas in Auburn:
- East Alabama Medical Heart Freestanding Emergency Division, 900 Camp Auburn Rd., Auburn, AL 36832 (24/7)
- AU Medical Clinic, 400 Lem Morrison Dr., Auburn, AL 36849 (8 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Friday)
- A rape equipment can usually be collected as much as 72 hours after a sexual assault.
- Victims/survivors can have a rape equipment collected with out submitting a police report
Sexual assault survivor advocates on and off campus (24 hours a day)
- Protected Harbor (on campus) – 334-844-7233 or safeharbor@auburn.edu
- Rape Counselors of East Alabama (group) – 334-705-0510
Assets for survivors: //www.auburn.edu/titleix
All survivors are inspired to report the assault, however it’s at all times the survivor’s alternative whether or not or not to take action.
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