A GROUP OF UNIVERSITY OF
MINNESOTA STUDENTS CAME
TOGETHER TO SUPPORT SEXUAL
ASSAULT SURVIVORS.
THE MARCH COMES AS THE
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TAKES
ON A NEW INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS
SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION ON
CAMPUS.
THIS PAST FALL, THE GOLFER
FOOTBALL PROGRAM MADE NATIONAL
HEADLINES WHEN TEN PLAYERS
FACED ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL
ASSAULT.
SINCE THEN A FRATERNITY HAS
BEEN SUSPENDED FOLLOWING A
REPORTED RAPE.
YESTERDAY, SURVIVORS SHARED
THEIR STORIES BEFORE MARCHING.
MY PERPETRATOR HURT ME BUT
HE DID NOT BREAK ME.
TO ALL THE SURVIVORS LISTENING
TODAY, I APPLAUD YOU FOR YOUR
BRAVERY, FOR FACING THE WORLD,
DESPITE THE FEAR THAT SEXUAL
ASSAULT CAN DRIVE INTO A
PERSON'S EVERY DAY BEING.
THE U IS ADDING MANDATORY
TRAINING FOR FACULTY AND STAFF
AND WILL FORM A PRESIDENT'S
ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
PRESIDENT ERIC HAILER SAYS THE
PROTOCOL IS BASED ON THE
RECOMMENDATIONS OF A GROUP THAT
ASSESSED THE SITUATION IN
RESPONSE TO SEXUAL ASSAULT ON
CAMPUS.
IN 2015, 294 SEXUAL ASSAULTS
WERE REPORTED AT COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES THROUGHOUT
MINNESOTA.
OF THOSE REPORTED, 156 WERE
INVESTIGATED BY THE SCHOOL AND
109 WERE THEN REFERRED FOR
POSSIBLE DISCIPLINE.
THE REPORT WHICH WE HAVE A LINK
TO ON OUR WEB SITE BREAKS DOWN
SEXUAL ASSAULTS FOR EVERY
COLLEGE IN THE STATE.
NOW, HERE'S A CLOSER LOOK AT
THE NUMBERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY
OF MINNESOTA.
2015, 47 REPORTS OF SEXUAL
ASSAULT WERE MADE.
15 OF THEM WERE INVESTIGATED BY
THE UNIVERSITY.
ALL 15 OF THOSE CASES WERE THEN
REFERRED FOR SOME KIND OF
DISCIPLINE.
JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT SEX
ASSAULT ON CAMPUS IS GENE
RONANE, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THIS
REPORT.
THIS IS NEW BECAUSE OF A NEW
STATE LAW.
LISTS EVERY SINGLE COLLEGE AND
HOW MANY ASSAULTS WERE
REPORTED.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT
THIS DATA BASE.
IT DOES.
I'M PLEASED THAT WE HAVE THE
REPORTS AND THAT WE'RE DOING
THIS REPORT ANNUALLY.
AND I THINK IT WILL BE
IMPORTANT TO WATCH WHAT
HAPPENS.
AND I WOULD CAUTION, THOUGH,
THAT WE KNOW THAT SEXUAL
ASSAULT IS UNDERREPORTED AND SO
AS WE PUT THINGS IN PLACE TO
HAVE BETTER REPORTING OF SEXUAL
ASSAULT, WE MAY IN FACT SEE
THESE NUMBERS RISE.
IN FACT, AT MN CASA, AS MORE
STUDENTS EXPERIENCE SEXUAL
ASSAULT, REALIZE THERE ARE
AVENUES FOR THEM TO REPORT AND
TO GET HELP WITH WHAT'S
OCCURRED.
WE'LL EXPECT TO SEE REPORTS
RISE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
STRUCK ME IN RESEARCHING FOR
THIS INTERVIEW IS THAT AN
OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF ASSAULTS
ACTUALLY HAPPEN IN THE FIRST
FEW WEEKS ON CAMPUS.
WHY IS THAT?
ABSOLUTELY.
WELL, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A
HIGH RISK TIME FOR NEW
STUDENTS.
THE STATS TELL US THAT FOR
FEMALE STUDENTS DURING THE
COURSE OF THEIR COLLEGE YEARS,
ONE IN FIVE ARE EXPERIENCING
SEXUAL ASSAULT.
THAT'S AN ENORMOUSLY HIGH
NUMBER, AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT
THE FIRST WEEKS OF SCHOOL ARE A
HIGH RISK TIME.
OF COURSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT
IT, HERE YOU ARE A NEW STUDENT,
YOU KNOW, ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES
THAT ARE OPENING UP FOR YOU,
THE EXCITEMENT OF BEING ON
CAMPUS, ALL OF THE ENJOYMENT OF
BEING ON CAMPUS.
WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT, YOU
KNOW, DIMINISHED THE WAY THAT
IT CAN BE, OF COURSE, IF
SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS.
I ALSO WANT TO SAY WE HAVE A
LINK ON OUR WEB SITE, ONE OF
YOUR WEB SITES, RAPEHELPMN.COM,
AND I NOTICED THERE WAS A PART
THERE FOR VICTIMS, A PART FOR
EDUCATORS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE
TREATING PEOPLE, AND ALSO FOR
FRIENDS.
YES.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF FRIEND
HERE?
YES, FRIENDS, TO BELIEVE
YOUR FRIEND, TO SUPPORT YOUR
FRIEND, TO LET YOUR FRIEND OR
LOVED ONE MAKE THE CHOICE ABOUT
HOW THEY WANT TO PROCEED.
SO DO THEY WANT TO REPORT IT TO
THE SCHOOL.
DO THEY WANT TO REPORT IT TO
LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THOSE ARE OPTIONS, BUT WE WOULD
ALWAYS WANT THE VICTIM'S
SURVIVOR TO BE IN CHARGE OF
THEIR OWN HEALING, AND IN
FOLLOWING THE ASSAULT.
SO SUPPORT IS THE BEST THING
THAT A FRIEND OR LOVED ONE CAN
DO.
AND YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO
THE INCIDENT INVOLVING THE TEN
FOOTBALL PLAYERS A NUMBER WERE
CLEARED, AND WE WANT TO STATE
THAT.
A REPORT WAS ISSUED ON THAT,
AND IT REALLY CONTAINED JUST
HORRIFYING DETAILS AND WHILE
I'M IN NO WAY SUGGESTING ANY
VICTIM SHOULD BE BLAMED,
ALCOHOL WAS VERY MUCH A
CONTRIBUTING FACTOR HERE.
HOW PREVALENT IS THAT, AND WHAT
SHOULD KIDS AND PARENTS KNOW
HERE.
ALCOHOL IS AN ISSUE WITH
MANY OF THESE CASES, BUT
REALIZE IF WE MAKE A POOR
JUDGMENT ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF
ALCOHOL WE USE OR A STUDENT IN
THIS CASE, THAT SHOULDN'T
RESULT IN SEXUAL ASSAULT.
RIGHT.
ABSOLUTELY.
YES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S
WHERE THE LINE IS DRAWN THERE.
AND AGAIN, IN EASE IN AVENUES
FOR REPORTING, ONE OF THE
THINGS THE NEW LAWS PUTS IN
PLACE IS IF THERE HAS BEEN
ALCOHOL USE THAT THAT NOT BE AN
INHIBITOR TO THE STUDENT MAKING
THE REPORT OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE CARE
ABOUT.
EVEN IF THEY WERE UNDERAGE,
EVEN IF THEY WERE DRINKING,
THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE HELD
AGAINST THEM.
ARE PEOPLE STILL NOT REPORTING
THOUGH THE LAW HAS CHANGED.
THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY
VICTIMS AREN'T REPORTING BUT
THIS IS EASING THAT IN ONE
SENSUOUS YES.
ALL RIGHT.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE A COUPLE