There are no new leads concerning the sexual assault that took place at approximately midnight on April 19, according to Lt. Timothy Gray of the Whitewater Police Department.
An email sent to UW-Whitewater students, faculty and staff, said a women was attacked at the 1300 block of Main St.
The attack was reported to be “non-acquaintance” assault, meaning the women did not know her attacker.
According to Gray, a non-acquaintance assault is rare. The U.S. Department of Justice did a study in 2005 that showed 73 percent of sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim.
Whitney Henley chairs a program to help sexual assault victims on campus. The Sexual Assault Survivors Assistance Team is run by UW-Whitewater faculty, staff and graduate students.
SASA does not require anyone to report their assault to police. Henley said they want the survivors to feel comfortable when contacting SASA for support, which sometimes means not reporting their attack.
The University does provide confidential reporting, meaning they are able to report their attack without making it known to the public. This way, people can get the help they need without the pressure of an investigation.
SASA provides many different resources for sexual assault survivors. Some of these include a 24-hour crisis hotline, counseling services and medical services.
University Health and Counseling Services have a sexual assault fund for survivors, Henley said. Victims of sexual assault are provided with free pregnancy and STD testing.
A survey done by University Health and Counseling Services conducted in 2007 showed 12 percent of students had been sexually assaulted during their time at UW-Whitewater.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice Assistance has 4,867 sexual assaults reported in 2010, a 5 percent increase from 2009.
According to the same study, 39 percent of reported sexual assaults were from children ages11-15 years. Seventeen percent were ages 16-20 years and 12 percent were 21-30 years.
“Most people know their attacker, so it’s really important to be aware of your surroundings and trusting the people you spend time with,” Henley said.
