Stanford issue alert as woman raped in campus bathroom
Stanford University has issued a safety alert after a woman reported being raped in one of the bathrooms on the California campus.
Police sent out the alert on Wednesday. The rape is reported to have taken place at around 5pm local time on Tuesday near a parking lot at the Wilbur Hall dormitory, the Stanford Department of Public Safety said in the alert.
The woman “stated she was physically restrained (grabbed) and taken to a restroom where she was raped,” the statement says.
The woman, who hasn’t been identified, said she had seen the attacker “on campus before”. She spoke to a “mandatory reporter, with the intent of sharing additional details with law enforcement”.
“The victim has indicated she does not want to speak with law enforcement at this time,” the statement says.
According to the university, mandatory reporters are specific staffers or others connected to the school, such as contractors and volunteers. They have a legal obligation to report certain crimes.
“No further information about the restroom or where it was located was provided,” the department said.
A spokesperson said on Thursday that it remains unclear if the woman or the attacker are students, NBC News reported.
The Stanford Department of Public Safety (DPS) described the “alleged perpetrator, as observed” by the victim as an adult Black man, six feet tall with a “thin build, brown eyes, and a faded beard”.
The department added that they will “will continue to investigate and encourages anyone who was in the area of Wilbur to contact DPS if they have information that may help solve this crime”.
“Information could include photos or video taken around the Wilbur dormitories, especially areas where vehicles park, as well as personal observations about activity taking place around Wilbur around 5pm on Tuesday,” the agency said.
DPS urged anyone with information to call the department at 650-723-9633.
They added that they have “increased patrols in the area” and they’re “actively pursuing more details in this case”.
