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Rape reported at Ohio State campus building

tara.3@osu.edu

Published: Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Updated: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 22:11

A female student reported a rape from the Neil Avenue building on Ohio State’s campus last weekend.

The incident is still under investigation, and  Chief Paul Denton of OSU Police could not say when the assault took place or if the victim knew the suspect.

The Neil Building, located at 1578 Neil Ave. on the corner of W. 10th Ave, is a residence hall which also houses the dining location MarketPlace. Neil Building hall directors were not available for comment.

Denton said although the rape was reported Saturday, the report was delayed and did not take place then.

“Sexual assaults are the most difficult crimes we could get called on,” Denton said.

Since each case is different, Denton said that it is hard to generalize how these types of cases are handled. He said protocol “depends on how (police officers) get the call.”

University Police receives notification of rape crimes from a variety of sources, from a hospital calling about a victim who has checked in to a call from the victims themselves. So notification could come days or months after the incident actually occurred.

The Saturday report follows two reported rapes in Park-Stradley Hall that have occurred within the past month.

Despite the recent reports, Denton said, “we don’t think it’s an ongoing problem to the campus community.”

Because it isn’t considered an ongoing problem on campus, there have been no warnings or announcements sent out through the OSU alert system.

OSU Office of Student Life spokesman Dave Isaacs said last week that reports of rape or sexual misconduct are taken very seriously at OSU.

“There are procedures in place under the university Code of Student Conduct to address complaints. Ohio State fully complies with federal law under Title IX to ensure that the proper authorities are notified,” Isaacs said in an email.

According to the OSU Wellness Center Sexual Violence Education and Support website, one in six women and one in 33 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, and nine out of 10 victims knew the perpetrator.

Danielle Berndt, a second-year in special education who was studying in MarketPlace Wednesday, said when she lived in the dorms she made sure to lock her doors at night.

“I made sure I knew my friends and my friend’s friends,” Berndt said.

Denton also said the University Police offers Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) training. These courses on self-defense are free to women who register to attend, according to the University Police website, and consists of five sessions.

Some students said it’s important to take basic safety measures to protect themselves from crime.

Jacob Bresciani, a first-year in biology who was studying in MarketPlace Wednesday, said it would be best to stay in a group when walking at night.

Denton said it’s important that students go out with a friend they trust so they can watch out for each other and get home safely.

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9 comments

C.J.
Wed Nov 21 2012 11:46
I am particularly troubled by Chief Paul Denton's comment, ""we don't think it is an ongoing problem to the campus community." I severely hope this quote was taken out of context. As the individual who is in charge of student safety on campus, Chief Denton certainly must be aware that most rapes happen between the age of 18-26 on college campuses. This is an ongoing problem and will continue to be an ongoing problem for every university and every campus. I hope that what he meant to say was that this is not a serial rapist. A

As one who worked in Residence Life and Housing for three years, I know just how many rapes go un-reported each month as well as the sad realities of systemic oppression due to gender stereotypes and administration turning a blind eye to the reality before them: rape consistently happens on college campus. And as male, I am trying to make it clear that this statement is not okay because it is an outright lie. Rape is an ongoing problem for the OSU campus as well as every other college campus.

Anonymous
Tue Nov 20 2012 15:27
@11.18.12 19:54

Please don't make this about the football team. This is about the victims. Yes, it would be terrible if the university were trying to silence the victim, but I do not believe that is the case. Please, do not rely on hearsay.

Anonymous
Sun Nov 18 2012 19:54
When the ABC 6 news team came to campus last week, one of the assistant HDs said that they were there because of who was being accused, not just because something happened. Rumor has it that one of the football players living in the Neil building is involved. Not sure if any disciplinary action has been taken or if this is just hearsay, but with the sanctions from last year, I'm worried if this isn't handled properly it could spell even more trouble for the university. Not that we would ever know because the Clery Act, but I really hope the university isn't just trying to cover this up and silencing the victim .
Anonymous
Sat Nov 17 2012 03:39
A college campus that doesn't take this crime seriously, how unexpected!

No matter how well you may think that you know someone, statistically, he (99% accurate pronoun) is still many times more likely to rape you than someone you've never met. Stop pretending that strangers are the problem and stop assuaging your fears with silly beliefs that walking in groups at night or locking the door prevents the majority of sexual assaults.

Alum
Thu Nov 15 2012 19:18
The Neil Building--That doesn't surprise me. As a PhD candidate, I lived there for 3 1/2 years and that residence hall was poorly managed/directed (except for when Doug was the director for a brief period of time). Most of the office workers were lazy and only cared about YouTube. Outside doors were constantly propped open where anyone could enter. Or, people tailgated through the doors and students were too shy to ask the tailgaters if they actually lived there (yes, many times you would recognize your hallmates--OK, but many other times there were strangers hanging around). Several times we had the police inside the building looking for thieves (non-students from off-campus). Even though I kept my doors locked, someone used a master key to enter while I was there. I started screaming and the person fled. The hall director (the one before Doug) said it had never happened before, but in fact, I found out that it did. It also happed to a male medical student living on my floor. OSU never tells the truth. I filed a police report and my locks were changed. The policeman was kind, but said I didn't have to worry about rape because it seldom happens on our campus. What? By that time, I had already heard of at least eight incidents at OSU (and I'm sure there were more). One is too many! The list of unsafe issues at the Neil Building, while I was a resident there, goes on and on--too many to mention here.
Anonymous
Thu Nov 15 2012 19:04
The Neil Avenue Building houses athletes; if any were involved in the incident, maybe this story will get the attention it deserves, finally. How could they possibly consider it an ongoing problem when less than 10% of incidents of sexual assault are ever reported to authorities? This response is unacceptable and only promotes ignorance. It is without a doubt a threat to student safety. OSU's policy regarding sexual assault seems to want to protect student privacy rather than the victims' rights. University-wide action is only ever taken after something becomes an ongoing problem. Why is nothing being done to prevent these crimes from ever happening? These sexual assault cases are most likely not linked, but students still have a right to know that these crimes are going on within the halls of what amounts to their homes.
Anonymous
Thu Nov 15 2012 08:28
Sadly people I heard females complain more about IGNORANT female roommates than rapes...so it ISN'T an ongoing problem but dorm life IS!!!!!
Anonymous
Thu Nov 15 2012 08:10
Of course university police don't think it's an ongoing problem because they don't think anything here is an ongoing problem. I live off campus, so I'm never shocked by crimes that occurr in the area. Students are supposed to feel safe living in the dorms. I wonder how many more rapes are going to happen before something is done.
Anonymous
Thu Nov 15 2012 05:48
What happens after a woman reports a rape? What kind of support does she receive at the University? What happens to the rapist? Does this ever go to court? Does the woman receive any legal advice? These are questions that the University needs to answer and they need to make sure that every student knows where to go for help. They also need to explain that the person who reports a rape is not victimized!




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