Right, but the problem is, what can we do? Because sometimes people falsely accuse should we automatically disregard all accusations of s e xual assault that can't be "proven"? What does proof even look like? Because you do realize that proof and consensual intercourse can look identical, right? So how do you protect the alleged victims while also protecting against possible false accusations?
-First we can stop trying to turn an assault into a battle of the sexes and treat it as the criminal complaint that it is.
-Second, we can stop creating a standard where a university has to prevent all crime on it's campus, as a portion of this suit is suggesting.
-The history of all campus PD's is an old town/gown issue that should be fixed but won't, so I won't address it. Just understand how it affects crime investigation and prosecution.
-Continue educating students on risk and behavior management on campus. I remember sitting through at least one a year in college. Covered everything from drinking, study habits, public safety, and yes, date rape.
- Add educational programs so victims know what they should do in the event they are assaulted. Tick off the list, create a website if necessary.
- Cover risk management behavior. It may be taboo to suggest the victims actions at all contribute, but short of a random assault, there are scenarios where preventative actions could prevent attacks. Not saying the attacker is less at fault or mitigates in anyway the attack. It is just risk management and being aware of your surroundings. You'd like to think you are safe on campus, but the fact is you are in a small city that has crime like any other.
I could go into a rant about how we teach our boys to win/achieve/be aggressive and our girls to fantasize about princesses (I hate Disney) and marriage but that would go on forever. Just acknowledge that this 'culture' term I despise occurs long before any freshman arrives on campus. And is about ingrained as social behavior gets in humans. Best of luck solving this that way.
- Certify anyone who might be involved in such cases on correct protocols. Comments like the one reported are out of bounds unless they are accepted procedure as part of assessing the case evidence.
- Acknowledge the outside police options.
I was unfortunate enough to go to school in a neighborhood nowhere near as safe as Storrs and I witnessed and was a victim of more crime in my time there than the rest of my life put together. If the standard is "feeling safe" then I can't support this current effort at all because that is an unfair standard impossible for the University system to meet and exposes this as a further exploitation of any victims.
