DAVIDSON, N.C. — There have been 12 rapes reported this school year at Davidson College, according to the campus crime log.
According to the campus crime log, the forcible sexual offense case is being investigated.
In every other report, prosecution was declined.
The Mecklenburg County D.A.'s office tells us none of the cases were ever presented to them.
Last week, a male student was charged with sexually assaulting a female student, and students said there had been other cases this year.
Campus crime logs reveal since August there have been 12 reports of rape, one report of sexual battery, one report of sexual harassment, three reports of fondling and one report of forcible sexual offense on campus.
“I think it's always shocking. I think any number's too high,” a Davidson resident said.
Reporter Elsa Gillis went to the campus Friday after the male student was charged and asked students about the incident.
“It's so scary. There have been so many incidences this school year,” student Uyen Nguyn said.
The forcible sexual offense case is being investigated but in every other report, prosecution was declined, according to the crime log.
"Yeah, it's just hard to believe in our community, this small-town community, that you'd have that," a Davidson resident said.
Nearly 2,000 students attend Davidson College.
For perspective, there are more than 28,000 students enrolled at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.
There have been 12 reports of rape in 2015 at that university, according to its crime data.
Davidson College’s statement:
"The college’s education, prevention, and bystander intervention programs have increased student awareness of the resources available to them and of their ability to help others. Our goal is not only to prevent incidents but to create an environment in which students feel empowered to seek help.
Experts and researchers in preventing sexual assault emphasize that, as an institution creates a culture that encourages reporting, the number of reports will go up. While we see evidence that our education and prevention efforts are having a positive effect, we will continue to seek ways to strengthen and expand those initiatives. Davidson holds its students to high standards.
Violations of those standards are met with serious consequences within the student conduct system, as outlined in the information on our website.
The college’s efforts toward education and prevention have included:
- Bystander training was adopted in the 2014-15 academic year, and more than a quarter of the student body participated in the volunteer course, including a majority of Greek organization members and the entire football team.
- All first-year students complete an online education program during the summer, the "Community of Respect" program during orientation and, during the academic year, they complete Davidson 101, an orientation course that includes education on potential sexual misconduct situations they might encounter and how to handle them.
- All resident advisers, hall counselors and building managers complete more than five hour of sexual assault prevention training.
- A task force of students, faculty and staff in recent years studied the college's sexual misconduct policy, gathered input from across campus and moved forward with changes to strengthen the policies, procedures and penalties for violations.
- Last academic year alone, at least ten campus events focused on prevention, including "Take Back the Night," documentary screenings and the Courage Project."