A University of Cincinnati student has been arrested and charged with the rape of an Ohio State student.
The Columbus Division of Police responded to the alleged rape when it received a call from a woman’s home on the 1800 block of Trina Way, about 20 minutes from campus, on Jan. 25 at 9 p.m.
The woman said Wenbin Shi traveled to Columbus three weekends in a row, entered her home, held her against her will and sexually assaulted her. The woman was previously dating Shi, but she broke off the relationship prior to the assaults, according to police reports.
The police arrested Shi at the victim’s home and he was taken to the Franklin County jail on Jan. 25. Shi was initially charged with one count of kidnapping and one count of rape and was released on bond, according to police reports.
The Franklin County Grand Jury returned a nine-count indictment against Shi – three counts of aggravated burglary, three counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape, all first-degree felonies, on Feb. 4, according to police reports.
The Cincinnati Police Department arrested Shi at his Cincinnati residence on Feb. 6. Shi is awaiting an extradition hearing in Hamilton County Court before being returned to Franklin County for trial.
The 21-year-old woman said in an email that she is not ready to talk about the incident at this time.
“I am willing to help others (learn from this) bad time and move on,” she said. “I am not ready to make it public right now.”
Daniel Cummins, the University of Cincinnati’s assistant dean of students in the Office of University Judicial Affairs, said he could not comment on any specific cases but only on the Student Code of Conduct process in general.
“The Student Code of Conduct administers sanction(s) to all students who are found responsible for violating the policies and procedures,” Cummins said.
The ranges of sanctions are: university disciplinary reprimand, probation, suspension and dismissal.
“All sanctions are administered in commensurate to the violation and often come with an educational sanction,” Cummins said.
The goal of OSU’s Sexual Violence Education and Support program, part of the Student Wellness Center, is to provide help and support for students in the aftermath of sexual violence.
“We make sure students are aware of medical care, we help them with the reporting and criminal processes such as filing police reports, helping them talk to detectives and even go to court with them as a support system,” said Brieanne Billman, a wellness coordinator for Sexual Violence Education and Support. “We also help the victims go through the emotional everyday life challenges that they may face after sexual violence.”
Sexual violence survivors are encouraged to call, email or set up an appointment with the Student Wellness Center at any time. The Student Wellness Center provides informal counseling, outreach events and sexual violence awareness programming for students on and off campus. One specific program the center offers is a self-defense class open to the community, not just students.
“Taking the self-defense class is therapeutic,” Billman said. “It raises awareness and even though it is not a primary prevention method, it is a risk-reduction strategy.”