Editor’s Note: This story includes mention of sexual violence or assault. Resources are available here.
The IU Police Department received four separate sexual assaults that occurred in on-campus dorms and apartments Oct. 28-31.
IUPD received a report on Oct. 31 from the Office of Student Conduct involving a student who had been sexually assaulted at Foster Quad on Oct. 20, IUPD Public Information Officer Hannah Skibba said in an email.
IUPD received another report the same day from the Office of Student Conduct regarding a student who had been sexually assaulted at Ashton Hall on Oct. 21.
The incidents were not reported to IUPD by the individuals involved and have been referred to university officials for review.
Additionally, an IU student was reportedly sexually assaulted during a party at Gresham Dining Hall at Foster on Oct. 28. The suspect is not affiliated with IU, Skibba said in an email. The investigation is ongoing.
On Oct. 31, IUPD officers met with an IU student who reported being sexually assaulted at Union Street Apartments on Oct. 28. Skibba said that a confidential victim advocate was called to the scene to provide support and resources to the victim. The investigation is ongoing.
According to IUPD’s crime log, there have been 13 rapes and 10 sexual batteries reported on campus since Aug. 17.
From the start of the fall semester until Thanksgiving break — a period known as the Red Zone — students on college campuses are at higher risk for sexual assault.
According to IU’s 2023 Security and Public Safety Report there were 38 rapes reported on IU Bloomington’s campus and five rapes reported off-campus in 2022. In the same year, there were 35 cases of fondling, which is the unconsensual touching of private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification, reported on Bloomington’s campus, with an additional two occurring off-campus.
The number is a marked increase from previous years. In 2021, there were a combined 31 cases of rape on and off-campus and 21 cases of fondling. In 2020, there were 25 reports of rape and seven reports of fondling, although on-campus instruction paused mid-March that year due to the pandemic and did not resume until the fall.
The amount of rape cases reported in 2022 far exceed reports of robbery, burglary and aggravated assault. But other crimes like domestic violence, dating violence and stalking were reported 22, 33 and 77 times in 2022, respectively. Those numbers had also increased from previous years.
The numbers dwarf reports at other IU campuses, with the closest being IUPUI with nine reports of rape in 2022. However, IU has a much higher enrollment than IUPUI and other IU campuses.
However, more than 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report their assaults, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
A list of resources is available here if you or someone you know has experienced sexual harassment or abuse.
