In the past 10 days, there have been two rapes reported to MTSU Police, both of which allegedly took place at Womack Lane Apartments.
On Oct. 1 at approximately 1:03 a.m., an MTSU Police officer made contact with the victim, who is an MTSU student, at the MTSU Police Department.
The victim advised the officer that she had been raped at Womack Lane Apartments on Sept. 30. The victim was then transported to Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital for further evaluation.
On Oct. 8 at approximately 1:22 a.m., two MTSU Police officers were dispatched to the MTSU Police Department lobby to speak with the victim of a reported rape.
The victim stated that she had gone to a party with her friends. At one point during the party, the victim’s friends took a walk, and the suspect then approached the victim and offered her a ride home. The victim thought that the suspect was going to take her home, but he drove her to his home at Womack Lane Apartments instead. The suspect asked her to come inside his apartment. Once they were inside the apartment, he forced himself on the victim and started grabbing and kissing the victim. The victim stated to police that, after the incident in the suspect’s apartment, the suspect drove her back to her apartment. While the victim was attempting to exit the car, the suspect began to start grabbing and kissing her again. The suspect then asked the victim to spend the night with him, but the victim refused and ran out of the car. The victim made it into her apartment, and her friends arrived shortly after. The victim was asked by police if she wished to go to the hospital. The victim then decided to go to the hospital for evaluation with her friends.
The following Monday, MTSU released an advisory regarding the sexual assault that took place on Oct. 8, which detailed resources available to students who are sexually assaulted, such as police contact information and self-defense courses that are organized by MTSU Police.
The advisory states,
“Sex offenses are treated with the greatest seriousness on our campus; criminal and/or severe disciplinary action can be taken. If a criminal case is brought, we will support you as much as possible as you pursue it. In the case of disciplinary action, it is our university’s commitment that the accuser and the accused shall be informed of the outcome of any institutional disciplinary proceeding brought alleging a sex offense.”
The advisory also states that the victim of the Oct. 8 assault is not a student but was acquainted with the suspect, who is an MTSU student. The victim does not wish to prosecute the suspect at this time, according to the advisory.
For more information on MTSU resources available to victims of sexual assault, visit here.
To contact News Editor Andrew Wigdor, email newseditor@mtsusidelines.com.
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