FAYETTEVILLE -- A 19-year-old University of Arkansas student told police Friday that she was raped at an on-campus residence hall, police said.
The woman said she was raped Wednesday night at Humphreys Hall by someone known to her, said Lt. Michael Oakes with the University of Arkansas Police Department.
The person known to the woman is a 22-year-old man who is neither a student nor an employee of the university, Oakes said. The man is not an area resident, Oakes said, declining to name his place of residence.
The incident reported at Humphreys Hall -- which has a 432-bed capacity, according to UA's website -- is among three rapes reported within the past 30 days at UA residence halls, which have a combined capacity of roughly 6,220 students, according to dormitory data listed on the university's website.
A rape was reported as occurring April 22 at Adohi Hall, which has a 708-bed capacity. Another rape was reported April 5 as taking place in Hotz Hall, which has a 416-bed capacity, on the night of Feb. 10 or early the next day.
Experts say, however, that many sexual assaults go unreported.
In 2020 -- a year with less campus activity because of the emergence of the covid-19 pandemic -- a total of eight rapes were reported as occurring on campus or on public property, according to the university's annual security report.
More recent annual statistics aren't available. In 2019, a total of 11 rapes were reported, according to UA data.
Police will investigate and turn over their findings to the prosecuting attorney's office for possible criminal charges, Oakes said.
In addition to the police investigation, UA's Title IX office will also be notified of the report, Oakes said Monday.
A university's Title IX office conducts its own separate investigations of student reports of sexual harassment and sexual assault, and it also works to provide accommodations that may be requested by students reporting misconduct.
UA's final exams for its spring semester begin next week.