For victims, to prosecute or not?

Two sexual assaults occurred last week on campus for which the attackers will not be prosecuted, and Division of Public Safety officials say these cases show the dilemma they often face in proceeding with incidents of sexual assault.

In both incidents, the victim knew her attacker and reported the crime to Penn Police but ultimately decided not to prosecute.

According to Penn Police crime records, 22 non-stranger rapes have occurred since 2001, and DPS officials say it is always the victim's choice whether to proceed with an investigation.

Non-stranger rapes and assaults usually start in social settings and often involve one or both parties being intoxicated, said Pat Brennan, director of Special Services for DPS.

Victims in these cases often decide to drop the charges in order to keep all details of the incident confidential and avoid further trauma, Brennan said.

For the victim, the possibility of friends and acquaintances finding out about the incident is often enough to prevent them from reporting it at all.

Brennan added that, while police recognize that attackers could potentially harm another female, the victim's wishes are always paramount.

"It's not one survivor's [responsibility] to protect future survivors," she said.

Whenever a stranger rape is reported, on the other hand, victims do not have the choice of keeping the details of the crime confidential because random attackers likely pose a threat to the surrounding community, Vice President of Public Safety Maureen Rush said.

There have only been three stranger rapes on or around campus since 2001.

Rush added that DPS encourages all women who think they may have been assaulted to come forward, regardless of how much they can remember about the incident.

Since many rapes occur after drinking, it is not uncommon for women to be unsure about the details of what happened.

"We will take them very seriously," Rush said. "Even if they can't piece everything together."

To avoid being the victim of a sexual assault, Brennan advised women to follow the "buddy system."

"If you go out with four females, you come home with four females," she said.

Rush emphasized that all DPS staff, including security guards, UCD guards and telephone operators are trained in dealing with victims of sexual assault in a sensitive and appropriate manner.

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