News
Another Rape Reported in Athens
< < Back toATHENS — Another sexual assault case was reported to the Athens Police Department on Tuesday.
The most recent case was reported at about 8 p.m. on Tuesday, when police responded to OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital to pick up evidence.
“The survivor indicated she was sexually assaulted in an apartment on the city’s south side,” Chief Tom Pyle said in a media release. “She is currently weighing her criminal justice options and APD stands ready to proceed with an investigation should she select to pursue one.”
A report was filed, but no description or details were released in the report.
Pyle said this case “does not appear to be connected” to the previously reported cases.
This is one of several cases APD and the Ohio University Police are investigating. The first case was reported on Aug. 25, when a woman said she was grabbed while walking on Mill Street, taken to a residence hall and sexually assaulted. Another case was reported on Sept. 2, in which another woman said she was grabbed and taken to a residence hall, where she was sexually assaulted.
A Sept. 3 report from OUPD said a woman reported being forced into a vehicle on Grosvenor Street before being taken to a residence hall and raped. On Sept. 5, a mandatory reporter told police she was told of a sexual assault, and police were told by hospital officials that a woman reported being forced by a man known to her to engage in sexual conduct. On Sept. 8, a 19-year-old woman said she was raped on the west side of the city.
After the first reports of sexual assault, APD and OUPD released a joint statement condemning the crimes and pledging to work together to investigate.
“It is our sincere hope that you will join us in creating a culture of intolerance for sexual violence by emphasizing the importance of respecting boundaries and supporting those who assert their personal limits,” Pyle and OUPD Chief Andrew Powers stated in the statement.