Assaults on campus prompt precautions

Two assaults in the first week of September have brought advice from CU Police and the Office of Victim Assistance.

According to a study funded by the Department of Justice, one in five women will experience sexual assault during her college career. According to Mary Friedrichs with the Office of Victim Assistance, CU's numbers are comparable, although most cases go unreported.

In the first week of September, a third degree assault and a sexual assault were reported on the CU campus. The first incident occurred in the early morning hours of September 5. A female student who was walking home alone was tackled from behind by a male assailant. He put his hand over her mouth and she bit his finger. He then ran away. Two bystanders helped the victim cross the street and call CU Police.

The second attack occurred at 3 a.m. on September 7 at the Mary Rippon Theater, near the UMC. Because the incident is still under investigation, CU Police are not releasing any details, although they have said that the assailant and victim were acquainted with one another.

The first case, an attack between two strangers, is a rarity at CU and across the nation. The second incident is much more common in the world of sexual assault.

Although CUPD said these incidents should not be cause for concern, female students are unsettled. "It's not a comforting feeling. It's a little alarming," said Amber Bodnar, a CU student.

According to Friedrichs, the most effective tool for sexual assault prevention is bystander interference, similar to what happened during the Kittredge Field attack.

Even when attacks happen between acquaintances, a concerned friend can be they key to prevention. That friend can interrupt the sequence of events said Friedrichs. "You can ask your friend to go to the bathroom with you, you have something to say to her," she said, as an example of how to interrupt a potentially dangerous situation.

1. Be aware of their surroundings,
2. Walk with a buddy, and
3. Know they people they go out with.