Sexual Assault Reported at Residence Hall
- Incident date: January 22, 2016, 12:00 am
- Incident type: Sexual Assault
- Location/address: UW-Madison Residence Hall
On Friday, January 29, 2016, the UW-Madison Police Department became aware of a sexual assault that reportedly occurred last weekend, sometime between 1/22/16 and 1/24/16. The victim reported being at the Red Shed bar and speaking with an unknown male. The victim reported taking two sips of a drink and then began feeling dizzy, hazy, and uncomfortable. The unknown male walked the victim home to a residence hall. The victim reported passing out, and later waking up as he was sexually assaulting her.
The reported assault was disclosed to a Campus Security Authority – it was not formally reported to the UW-Madison Police Department or other local law enforcement. Therefore, there is no current criminal investigation.
Sexual assault is never the fault of the victim. While nothing is failsafe, here are some suggestions everyone should consider:
- Make sure you have consent. Consent is a clear and freely given yes, not the absence of a no.
- People who are incapacitated by alcohol or drugs cannot give consent. Signs of incapacitation may include—but are not limited to—throwing up, slurring words, stumbling, or not being able to remember conversations.
- Be active in supporting a safe and respectful community. If you see others engaging in disrespectful, inappropriate, or illegal actions, speak up and get involved, or contact someone else to assist.
- If you witness something that doesn’t feel right, you can help by getting involved. Check-in and ask, “Hey, do you know this person?” or, “Are you OK?”
- When you go out, consider going out as part of a group. People tend to step in and intervene in situations when they have friends that will back them up.
- Use and encourage others to have a companion or a safe means of getting home, i.e., a trusted friend, taxi, or SafeWalk at 608.262.5000.
If you’ve been sexually assaulted, there are resources available to help you. Please visit: http://www.uhs.wisc.edu/assault/assault.shtml or http://uwpd.wisc.edu/tellus/