Second reported rape on Stanford campus in recent months has students feeling unsafe
STANFORD -- The Stanford University community has been put on alert as the campus investigates two sexual assaults in a span of a month. The latest incident happened just days ago.
Last Friday, a woman reported a man raped her in the basement of a building on campus. The incident happened at around 12:30 p.m., Friday afternoon.
Students got an email alert about the assault from the university. Some students say the university needs to do much more to make them feel safer.
Friday's reported assault follows another rape alleged to have occurred in a campus bathroom in August, according to an alert from that time. That incident "remains under investigation," according to a statement released by the university.
"Even before the incident that happened last week where a woman was raped in her office, I've felt unsafe walking around," said student Hazel Le.
The thought of a rapist on the loose has many students concerned. Friday's victim was working in her office when a man grabbed and dragged her into the basement and raped her.
The Department of Public Safety is investigating but at this time, the victim hasn't come forward to provide details of the crime. DPS says the other incident happened on August 9, at a parking lot near Wilbur Hall.
"Because of the nature of the incident, which is someone intentionally went into the office and then brought the women down to the basement," adds Le. "It's like really scary."
According to DPS, in both cases, the victims didn't initially come forward but both crimes were reported by a mandatory reporter, someone legally obligated to notify law enforcement. Investigators said they don't have a lot of details to go on and are not only urging the victims to come forward but for fellow students and faculty to play a role to preventing and reporting these types of assaults.
"We still live in a world where there are very few solutions aside from the police. As a person who doesn't want to call the police or get the police involved, I think we have taken it upon it on ourself to try to do what we can like share location with friends and not walking alone anymore," said student Leanna Lupin.
"It's unsettling, definitely, not knowing who did this and if it's the same person or different," adds Genevieve Dandurand, another student.
The only information released about the suspect is that, in both cases, it was a male adult. DPS is urging everyone on campus to make sure they use the resources available to get around campus safely and be aware of their surroundings. Those resources include shuttles and escort services.
Some students feel the university could do more to improve safety on campus.
"The sheer lack of follow-up has students feeling like the university doesn't care about us and that we are left to our own devices to figure out safety and it's definitely been on the forefront of my mind and my fellow students," said Leanna Lupin.
Le adds, "Even though the fault is never in the victims, we as students we feel pressure to protect ourself or no one else will protect us."