A female student reported she was raped in a Central Campus apartment May 14, Chief John Dailey of the Duke University Police Department confirmed Monday.
The incident took place from about 2:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday according to the DUPD incident report. The student reported the assault anonymously to DUPD Saturday at approximately 10:09 a.m., according to the report.
The student allegedly met the unknown suspect at a local nightclub.
Although Dailey said Monday the complainant was raped, the DUPD report was originally filed as a sexual assault.
Duke Police declined to give any details about the suspect, including whether any suspects are in custody. DUPD Assistant Chief Gloria Graham said the complainant is cooperating with the investigation.
DUPD did not send out a DukeAlert e-mail or text notification to the student body about the event but issued an e-mail update to the Police News listserv at 11:29 a.m. Monday.
According to the federal Clery Act, DUPD is only required to alert students and employees of incidents that “pose a serious or continuing threat” to the Duke community. Dailey said there was not sufficient information to determine if the report was an isolated incident or a continuing threat as of about 6 p.m. Monday.
Graham said the report was a blind report, which leaves the complainant anonymous.
The University’s sexual misconduct policy permits students to submit blind reports with both Duke and Durham’s police departments.
“The University will make all reasonable efforts to ensure the preservation of confidentiality, restricting information to those with a legitimate need for it,” the policy reads.
Durham Police could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Duke Police declined to say whether the Durham Police Department is investigating the incident.
Dean of Students Sue Wasiolek said the Office of Student Conduct only intervenes if the suspect is a student, adding that the University does not have jurisdiction over non-Duke affiliates.
“Our main focus is on supporting the victim and making certain she receives the information, support and resources she needs,” she said.
Sheila Broderick, sexual assault support services coordinator for the Women’s Center, declined to comment on whether the student is working with the Women’s Center. Broderick wrote in an e-mail that the Women’s Center has provided services to 89 students since July 2009.
“My services are available to any student who is the victim of gendered violence, which includes dating violence, rape, sexual assault and stalking,” Broderick said. “So not every one of these 89 students is a victim of the subcategory of rape.”
Police reports of rape, however, are rare on campus. According to the Annual Clery Campus Security Report for 2009-2010, 17 incidents of forcible sexual offenses were reported on campus from 2006 to 2008. Of these offenses, seven were reported to have taken place in housing facilities.
Between five and seven sexual offenses were reported in each of the three years, according to the data in the report. The most recent information is from 2008, in which five forcible sexual offenses were reported, none of which occurred in residential buildings.
Dailey declined to say if the complainant is pressing charges.
“We would prefer clearly to have the assistance of the victim,” Dailey said. “But in a case we felt that the public safety was in danger... we would present the case to the District Attorney regardless.”
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