A Rape Hoax is No Way to Get Attention
The alleged victim wanted attention and she sure got it.
Jean Bernard Chery
Issue date: 4/15/05 Section: Opinions
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Everything was going well on Wednesday, November 17, 2004, at Rollins College until approximately 9:30 pm when Campus Safety received report of an alleged sexual battery at Cornell Social Sciences (CSS).
The Winter Park Police Department was on site shortly, and students were asked to remain indoors while the incident was being investigated. The Dean's office quickly informed everyone via email that extra measures have been taken by Campus Safety to assure the safety of everyone on campus.
The office also announced that the college was cooperating fully with the police in the course of the investigation. Campus Safety beefed up patrols and provided escort services in an attempt to reassure everyone that the campus was safe.
It was a nightmare for every female student and faculty/staff at Rollins. They were afraid to go to the bathroom or walk on campus alone after dusk because the alleged victim reported to Campus Safety and police that two men sexually assaulted her in a CSS bathroom. The incident prompted a candlelight vigil on campus in support of the alleged victim that week which was sexual assault awareness week. Although no one really knew the woman's identity then, it appeared that the incident touched everyone on and off campus, and they shared her grief.
A month into the investigation, the forensic evidence and discrepancy in the woman's story led police to believe that she had not been raped. Finally, when confronted with forensic evidence, she told the truth to investigators. The police suspected her story from the start for two reasons: one, she couldn't help investigators with a composite sketch, and two, she did not want to press charges. However, they continued the investigation anyway because it was their duty to ensure the safety of everyone on campus. On December, the police and FDLE estimated the cost of the investigation to more than $50,000. Then, the case was transferred to the state attorney's office to file possible charges.
The Winter Park Police Department was on site shortly, and students were asked to remain indoors while the incident was being investigated. The Dean's office quickly informed everyone via email that extra measures have been taken by Campus Safety to assure the safety of everyone on campus.
The office also announced that the college was cooperating fully with the police in the course of the investigation. Campus Safety beefed up patrols and provided escort services in an attempt to reassure everyone that the campus was safe.
It was a nightmare for every female student and faculty/staff at Rollins. They were afraid to go to the bathroom or walk on campus alone after dusk because the alleged victim reported to Campus Safety and police that two men sexually assaulted her in a CSS bathroom. The incident prompted a candlelight vigil on campus in support of the alleged victim that week which was sexual assault awareness week. Although no one really knew the woman's identity then, it appeared that the incident touched everyone on and off campus, and they shared her grief.
A month into the investigation, the forensic evidence and discrepancy in the woman's story led police to believe that she had not been raped. Finally, when confronted with forensic evidence, she told the truth to investigators. The police suspected her story from the start for two reasons: one, she couldn't help investigators with a composite sketch, and two, she did not want to press charges. However, they continued the investigation anyway because it was their duty to ensure the safety of everyone on campus. On December, the police and FDLE estimated the cost of the investigation to more than $50,000. Then, the case was transferred to the state attorney's office to file possible charges.