Students, Public Safety respond to sexual assault
Content warning: This article will contain discussion of sexual violence.
Public Safety sent an email to students informing them of an “attempted assault” on March 1 when an Uber driver transporting a student to her residence hall “touched her over and under her clothing,” according to police correspondence
By Natalie Nemes
On March 1, the St. Paul Police Department responded to a report of a sexual assault that took place on campus at approximately 1:15 p.m. A police report stated that the female survivor of the assault was taking an Uber back to her dorm, and her driver “touched her over and under her clothing.” St. Catherine University’s Department of Public Safety sent an email to students at 4:14 p.m. that same day notifying them of the incident and labeling it an “attempted assault.” The email contained further details, stating that the student exited the vehicle and informed Public Safety, who were able to support her as she filed a report.
Although Public Safety described the assault as “attempted,” the St. Paul Police incident report tentatively classifies the offense as criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree due to attempted or threatened harm. However, officers write reports with the information they have at the scene, and crime title or offense degree may change based on further information learned during the police department’s investigation.
With the St. Paul police reporting an assault and Public Safety only classifying it as an “attempted” assult, there is a discrepancy between the two departments’ accounts of the crime. Katie Filas ‘24 (ASL Interpreting) said this statement was “gross negligence” on the university’s part.
“Who are we to believe?” Filas asked. “Why isn’t a historically women’s centered college, rooted in social justice, failing to honor the victim by clearly identifying the incident. ‘Attempted assault’ tells me that the university wants to shy away from recognizing the severity of the incident and the impact it will have on students.”
The Wheel reached out to Anthony Miller, interim director of Public Safety, for comment on this discrepancy. Miller responded, “We do not, as a practice, comment on active investigations, which is in line with our goal to support the best outcome for the victim/survivor.”
The official email from Public Safety also contained advice on how students can stay safe when using rideshare services and how to use Public Safety’s escort options. However, Filas felt that the email response “was a little too succinct.”
“The safety tips at the end of St. Kate’s Public Safety reports are helpful for those who aren’t already aware of what to do in a similar situation,” Filas said, “but I think what students really want to know is what Public Safety is going to do to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
The same-day notification from the department contrasts the lack of information surrounding an instance of sexual violence that occurred last semester, when a student’s boyfriend held them in their dorm room over four days. The only same-day communication issued to students after that assault was an email from Director of Campus Life Amanda Perrin to St. Mary Hall residents, which stated that police were on campus Sept. 10 due to “an incident concerning a guest.” The email did not provide any further details about the “incident.”
Public Safety issued an email to the St. Catherine community addressing the sexual violence last semester only after the StarTribune published an article on Sept. 12 with the details of the assault. The email stated, “If there was an ongoing and/or active threat, you would have been alerted via the LiveSafe app through Public Safety and had received email and text alerts.”
The Wheel requested that Public Safety comment on the discrepancy between this semester’s and last semester’s response to these cases of sexual assault. However, per their policy, Miller declined to comment.
On their website, Uber says it issues safety reports that track “sexual assault incidents reported by drivers and riders, plus fatal physical assaults and fatal motor vehicle crashes that occurred in connection with the Uber platform.” The rideshare company also has safeguards in place to protect women drivers and riders, including phone number anonymization, 24/7 in-app emergency assistance and an in-app emergency button that immediately connects Uber riders and drivers to their local emergency number. Drivers and riders can share their location with a friend or family member through the app as well.
However, Uber has a history of lawsuits from passengers who were sexually assaulted by their drivers. According to an NPR report, these plaintiffs say that Uber doesn’t do enough to protect its riders, since it conducts “substandard” background checks and sometimes doesn’t remove drivers once sexual violence allegations arise.
This can leave some feeling wary of using rideshare services.
“I’ve never used rideshare apps before because I’ve always been hesitant of the one time it goes wrong — like this story,” Filas said. “So now I’m even more averse to them seeing how close it happened to our ‘safe’ and quiet community.”
In their email to students, Public Safety provided several pointers on how to stay safe while using rideshare services, including staying aware of your surroundings, confirming the license plate before getting in the car, checking your driver’s rating and sitting in the back seat.
Sexual violence remains an underreported crime, and many survivors choose not to report their experiences for a variety of reasons. If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual violence, Ramsey County SOS Sexual Violence Services provides support for those seeking it. Survivors can report their experiences through a program called On My Terms, which supports survivors as they decide whether or not to pursue an investigation. Those needing assistance can request for SOS to contact them using a form on their website. For immediate help, call the 24/7 crisis line at 651-266-1000.
