Sexual Assault Cases Continue at Stanford University in the US... Students Criticize "Inadequate School Response"

Campus Newspaper "Universities Shift Responsibility for Sexual Assault onto Victims"
In 2015, a University Swimmer Also Sexually Assaulted a Student

Hoover Tower building at Stanford University. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] A series of sexual assault incidents have occurred in broad daylight on the campus of Stanford University, a prestigious university in the western United States, causing shock.

According to the Stanford University Department of Public Safety (DPS) on the 10th (local time), a woman working in an office on campus was sexually assaulted around 12:30 p.m. on the 7th. The male perpetrator dragged the victim to the basement of a university building and committed the crime.

What makes this incident particularly shocking is that a similar incident occurred just a few months ago. Stanford University also had a sexual assault case in August. The perpetrator dragged a woman who was in a parking lot near the dormitory around 5 p.m., during daylight hours, to a nearby restroom and sexually assaulted her.

Stanford University announced that while the DPS is actively investigating the case, information is limited, and they urged anyone with additional victims to report it.

Stanford University explained that the female victims first reported to the school’s DPS, which is actively investigating the case. However, according to the victims’ wishes, detailed information will not be disclosed to the police, and they asked that any additional victims come forward.

Laura Wilson, director of DPS, released a statement acknowledging the students’ concerns and anxiety caused by the consecutive reports of sexual crimes.

Within Stanford University, criticism has been raised that the school authorities’ response is insufficient.

The editor of the opinion section of the campus newspaper, Stanford Daily, pointed out, "The university should not evade responsibility for sexual assault," and criticized, "The school repeatedly emphasizes the lack of sufficient information, thereby shifting the responsibility onto the victims."

Stanford University was embroiled in controversy in 2015 when Brock Turner, a university swimmer, sexually assaulted an intoxicated woman on campus.

The prosecution sought a six-year prison sentence for Turner at the time, but Judge Aaron Persky, who handled the case, sentenced him to six months, leading to criticism that it was a "lenient ruling for a white elite university student."

Due to the excessively light punishment and rising public criticism, Judge Persky was removed through a recall vote in 2018.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.