District Attorney to receive alleged sexual assault case
Argonaut staff writers
Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: News
Belmont Police announced Tuesday that they will send the recent NDNU sexual assault case to the San Mateo County District Attorney's office as soon as their investigation is complete. According to Lt. Pat Halleran, the District Attorney's office will decide on what charges, if any, will be applied.
The case began when a female NDNU student was allegedly raped at 4:30 a.m. Sunday, March 16, in her on-campus dorm room.
According to NDNU Chief of Public Safety Dave Mefford, the Belmont Police Department is leading the investigation.
"All parties involved have been contacted and are cooperating," said Mefford.
Mefford could not confirm if alcohol was involved but, he said, to his knowledge, no drugs were involved.
Students with knowledge of the alleged assault provided this information with the understanding that their names would not be used: The two NDNU students involved in the incident both attended a party Saturday night in a room on the second floor of St. Joe's where alcohol was said to be present.
A few hours after midnight, after listening to a Public Safety officer play the piano in the lobby of St. Joe's, a small group went to the victim's room in New Hall. She was headed to bed when the accused forced himself upon her.
After the assault, she left her room and went to the room of a friend who then called the Belmont Police who responded and took a "rape kit."
The accused student reportedly told the police that he fell asleep in the New Hall room and the first thing he remembers is being awakened by the police. He reportedly said he has no recollection of the events of the evening.
The assault was reported to the Belmont police at 6:21 a.m. according to an original statement put out by NDNU Public Safety.
"Public Safety was not contacted," said Mefford. "One (NDNU) officer happened to be heading to the chapel and saw the police cars.
"Belmont police told him that they were investigating a possible sexual assault."
This case is the second reported sexual assault on campus in the past two years. The first was reported in January of 2007.
According to a notice sent out by Public Safety at the time, "This was an isolated incident and does not pose a threat to students, staff and faculty or the surrounding Belmont community."
"In the 20 years I've been here," said Mefford, "there have been only three or four sexual assaults," and none were ever committed by an off-campus perpetrator.
The case began when a female NDNU student was allegedly raped at 4:30 a.m. Sunday, March 16, in her on-campus dorm room.
According to NDNU Chief of Public Safety Dave Mefford, the Belmont Police Department is leading the investigation.
"All parties involved have been contacted and are cooperating," said Mefford.
Mefford could not confirm if alcohol was involved but, he said, to his knowledge, no drugs were involved.
Students with knowledge of the alleged assault provided this information with the understanding that their names would not be used: The two NDNU students involved in the incident both attended a party Saturday night in a room on the second floor of St. Joe's where alcohol was said to be present.
A few hours after midnight, after listening to a Public Safety officer play the piano in the lobby of St. Joe's, a small group went to the victim's room in New Hall. She was headed to bed when the accused forced himself upon her.
After the assault, she left her room and went to the room of a friend who then called the Belmont Police who responded and took a "rape kit."
The accused student reportedly told the police that he fell asleep in the New Hall room and the first thing he remembers is being awakened by the police. He reportedly said he has no recollection of the events of the evening.
The assault was reported to the Belmont police at 6:21 a.m. according to an original statement put out by NDNU Public Safety.
"Public Safety was not contacted," said Mefford. "One (NDNU) officer happened to be heading to the chapel and saw the police cars.
"Belmont police told him that they were investigating a possible sexual assault."
This case is the second reported sexual assault on campus in the past two years. The first was reported in January of 2007.
According to a notice sent out by Public Safety at the time, "This was an isolated incident and does not pose a threat to students, staff and faculty or the surrounding Belmont community."
"In the 20 years I've been here," said Mefford, "there have been only three or four sexual assaults," and none were ever committed by an off-campus perpetrator.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
concerned student
posted 3/27/08 @ 4:19 PM PST
I'm appalled and extremely disappointed to say that I attend the university that this newspaper is part of. This article is such an invasion of privacy towards the suspect of the case and the victim. (Continued…)
Student Member
posted 4/01/08 @ 7:12 PM PST
Okay I have this friend and he wont be mentioned because there is "dangerous waters" between him and another guy, about the articles that were published. (Continued…)
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