FAYETTEVILLE -- Three rapes in campus residence halls have been reported to university police in the past six weeks at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
The most recent purported assault is described in police records as a reported acquaintance rape taking place early Sunday at Gladson-Ripley Hall, a freshman dormitory. Captain Gary Crain said an 18-year-old, female student told police she was raped by a 19-year-old, male student.
Police continue to investigate two other recent acquaintance rape reports, one said to have taken place Feb. 1 at Yocum Hall and another Jan. 16 at Pomfret Hall.
In all of 2013, only six forcible sexual offenses were reported in university crime statistics. Statistics for 2014 have not been reported by university authorities.
Mary Wyandt-Hiebert, director of UA's Office of Support, Training, Advocacy and Resources on Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence, said recent national attention on college sexual assault and relationship violence could lead to more reporting.
"As more discussion happens about these topics, it is not unreasonable to predict that on campuses in which services are in place for those victimized by these crimes that more students will come forward," she wrote in an email.
The federal Justice Department issued a report in December that found that among college students from age 18 to 24, about one in five sexual assaults were reported to police, a conclusion based on survey data.
In the recent reported assaults, the women have initially declined to pursue criminal charges, instead requesting a university review. The university can prohibit contact between the parties involved and, if a student is found responsible for sexual misconduct, enforce penalties that can include suspension or expulsion.
Crain said the university has a new policy to have a criminal prosecutor review the paperwork in such cases even if a student is declining to pursue criminal charges.
A T-shirt giveaway Tuesday at the Arkansas Union to promote a UA campaign against sexual assault known as "That's So 6 Percent" had visitors stopping by for more information.
The campaign's title comes from a study estimating that 6 percent of men are responsible for rapes and attempted rapes. It urges students to speak out against instances when jokes are made trivializing rape or comments are made placing blame on rape victims. The goal is to change what's referred to as rape culture, according to campaign organizers.
Mengjiao Liao, a graduate student studying operations management, stopped by the group's booth. Told of the recent rape reports, Liao called the purported assaults "a concern for all us students, women and men."
She said it's hard to say whether students might feel more comfortable reporting sexual assault to authorities, even with public efforts against sexual violence getting more attention.
"I don't think that kind of change in culture happens that rapidly," Liao said.
Metro on 02/25/2015