ROGERS PARK — An 18-year-old Loyola University student reported being sexually assaulted inside a dorm room early Friday morning, according to Chicago Police.
The attack is the fifth sexual assault reported by students this semester.
The attack occurred between 1-2:30 a.m. inside a dorm at the San Francisco Residence Hall, 6317 N. Kenmore Ave., according to Loyola's police logs and Chicago Police.
The student reported the rape to the school's Campus Safety Department at 8:36 p.m. Saturday and it was later referred to Chicago Police, records show.
The alleged rapist was a "male acquaintance" of the female student and no arrests have been made yet, police said.
The assault comes after a brutal few months for female Loyola students, who have reported rapes, gropings and other sexual harassment on or near campus. Eight people have been arrested in connection with the crimes.
Loyola said safety is a "top priority" for the university.
"When anyone in our community reports gender-based violence, we respond with an array of services available on- and off-campus, confidential support, any interim measures, and advocacy if the survivor decides to pursue the matter through the criminal justice system, our disciplinary process, or some other resolution," said Kristin Trehearne, a Loyola spokeswoman.
Trehearne said Campus Safety and Chicago Police team up for safety patrols and exchange information, including patrolling both the Rogers Park and Water Tower campuses "24 hours a day, seven days a week" and using security cameras.
"We continuously look for new and additional ways to stem assaults and protect survivors," Trehearne said, citing programs and educational tools through the school's Wellness Center.
Earlier Incidents
The first incident was reported around 1:30 a.m. Sept. 16. Police said a 20-year-old student was drunk at the home of an acquaintance in the 6300 block of North Wayne Avenue in Edgewater when he sexually assaulted her.
The survivor of the assault told the Loyola Phoenix her case was initially mishandled by the university when it become lost and not properly filed with the Office of Dean of Students, though it was later found and the university apologized for the error.
In a follow-up, the student also told the Phoenix she was inappropriately billed by the hospital where she underwent a physical examination after her assault, known as a rape kit, and was also told by police it could take up to two years before it's processed.
The male student received administrative sanctions from the school, records show.
On Sept. 23, a student filed a delayed report with Campus Safety alleging she or he had been the victim of an off-campus sexual assault sometime between noon-midnight April 23-24. The university did not provide further details on that attack.
Around 2 p.m. Sept. 24, another 20-year-old woman reported being raped at 2:30 a.m. in the 6100 block of North Kenmore Avenue. In that case, the woman had gone to the home of a 22-year-old friend when shortly after arriving he sexually assaulted her, police said.
The woman drove herself to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston and then reported the incident to the university.
On Oct. 25 at Baumhart Hall, part of the university's downtown campus at 25 E. Pearson Street, another student told police she was assaulted a few days prior.
Combating Sexual Crimes
Trehearne said the university encourages students to report crimes.
In October, Jane Neufeld, vice president of the dean of students, sent a message to the university community with a list of resources for students who experience gender-based violence.
In the message, Neufeld wrote:
"The national conversation around sexual assault has grown louder in recent weeks, and news feeds have been inundated with videos, stories, speeches, and articles, oftentimes with content of a disturbing nature. University leaders recognize that some of these messages can be troubling, but we also want to use this opportunity to reassure our students of Loyola’s long-standing commitment to sexual assault prevention and support for survivors of gender-based violence.
Violence is not tolerated at Loyola University Chicago, and through the work of the Coordinated Community Response Team (CCRT) we continue to educate, provide access to services, and ensure that our campus community is a safe and supportive environment for survivors."
With all the incidents and the start of the school year, sexual assault counseling services have been in high demand at Loyola and other schools around the city, said Diana Newton, executive director at Porchlight Counseling in Evanston. The center specializes in free counseling for people who have experienced gender-based violence at local colleges.
Newton said in the first nine weeks of school are when students are most at-risk for sexual- or gender-based crimes.
Newton said she understood the difficulties college safety departments and police face when combating crimes like sexual assault, especially because it's impossible for universities to have an eye on all students at all times, but said in general rape on campus was prevalent throughout the country.
In October, a group of students marched on campus to demand more resources for survivors and speak out against sexual assault on campus.
"Aside from what we want the university to get out of this, we're hoping that sexual assault survivors at Loyola will have a space that they can be truly listened to," student organizer Melissa Haggerty said in October. "And I know a lot of students are kind of scared to walk around at night in the community after all these incidents have been reported, and we hope that we can empower people to feel safe again in their own community."
Students also asked the university to think about its messaging. Safety alerts emailed to community members suggest people be aware of their surroundings and don't listen to music when walking outside. Those messages enforce a "victim-blaming mentality," Haggerty said.
"How about [saying], 'Don't rape people'? How about that as a warning in the email?" Haggerty said.
Ald. Joe Moore (49th) said he was aware of some of the incidents on campus and said sexual assault on campus and gender-based violence was "unfortunately not unusual."
"Tragically these kind of sexual assaults do take place, on campuses in particular, and I don't want to speculate but the next leader of this country has not exactly set a good example on that ground," Moore said.
"Given the reports of more harassment of immigrants and people of color and these kinds of incidents, I think there is a concern that people feel they have license to do that in part because of who we just elected as President of the United States."
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