safety alert

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

To: The Tufts Community

From: Tufts Police

Date: July 6, 2008

Tufts Police received an initial report on July 6, 2008 regarding a
sexual assault. The incident occurred at approximately 6:00 a.m. on
Dearborn Road in Somerville, MA. The assailant approached the victim on
Dearborn Road and forcefully took the victim under a house porch.

The description of the assailant, given by the victim is as follows:
white male, brown wavy hair, light colored eyes, wearing a black T-shirt
and has a tongue ring.

An area search was conducted by Tufts Police and Somerville Police,
which proved negative. At this time, no suspects have been identified.

Comments

[mon-deluge.livejournal.com]

this wasn't through rumors. i am far from being in any rumor circles. I can't go into specifics, but administration and deans have talked to us about it.

[zmgmeister.livejournal.com]

Why the secrecy? The Tufts Daily does (or used to) report on disciplinary hearings, just with the names redacted ( because of the Buckley Amendment and all ).

Also the Observer ( back when the Observer was a weekly newspaper ) used to run a weekly police log.

I know with the Clery act, colleges have to report crime statistics, and the number of sexual assaults is one of those figures. What happens in a case like this? Would the incident you mention count or not?

[mon-deluge.livejournal.com]

The Daily CAN report on disciplinary hearings. They dont do all of them. Also, they can include names if they find out, actually, but Tufts itself cannot supply names.

The Observer does still have the logs, but obviously they dont report EVERYTHING. And if i were an editor, I wouldnt wanna report an alleged rape on a student by a student.

I mean, of course the crime would be report in statistics, but how available is this information? Do they specify who is doing what? From my work this past year at Tufts, this really has been something downplayed to be honest I'm sure any institution would do it.

*My* personal problem is its change of behavior and lack of action when it isnt a 'townie' accused, but another student.

[zmgmeister.livejournal.com]

Can you tell us if this was a case where the "jury" simply didn't vote guilty, or it was because of a technicality, or the case was dropped for some reason?

That can be a frustrating part of criminal justice, whether it's in criminal court or in private arbitration; sometimes defendants go free because there's a problem with the evidence, or the jury simply doesn't return a guilty verdict.

[mon-deluge.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately I do not know if it were a technicality or not. I know that happens in the criminal system; I do not think that the panel releases its findings as to why they acquit someone. I myself was not at the hearing, but my source who was there and was an advocate said that the process was pretty outrageous. I obviously don't want to go into too much detail, but the disciplinary hearings are not well equipped to situations like these.