Mesa JonesAfter two alleged rapes on campus in March, some students are saying they don’t feel as if they are fully informed about the matter.
Students at NCCU were alerted on March 19 of a rape in Eagle Landing that occurred March 16. This alert had little information on the incident, outside of the fact that the suspect was a known person to the victim. The alert also contained protective steps to keep people safe.
Brooke Lindsey, a mass communications junior, said that one email is not enough.
“It’s another one of the semester and it’s not really much information for us to go off of like the last one,” Lindsey said. “I feel like they could do more on updating us on the investigation, we kind of have to find out for ourselves and look to other places for other information.”
For many students, another source for information has become social media.
Fizz, an anonymous social media app has become an increasingly prevalent way of communication between students. The app can serve as a helpful source at times, but the anonymity gives people the ability to blast anything, without the worry of repercussions from fellow students.
“What I find disappointing about Fizz is that people take the ability to be anonymous, and go on Fizz and spew all of this nonsense,” NCCU Chief of Police Damon Williams said. “I see what’s on Fizz, I see it all the time. I see it through students telling me.”
After the alert of sexual assault, students pinned it on a male student with no evidence, making him the face of the crime.
“How disgusting of a person to go on Fizz and say something like that while you’re hiding behind the veil of a closed door.” Williams said.
Sexual assault is defined as a person intentionally sexually touching someone without that persons consent, is a tough topic no matter the person, or location it occurs. But it brings out a certain type of fear when it’s happening near you.
“I think in the world that students live in, they think a rape is somebody who got knocked upside the head and dragged into the woods and was raped and was bruised and battered and beat up,” Williams said.
“An average rape that I’ve seen in my career, the people know each other, they got very comfortable with each other.”
Williams stressed that anybody that has been accused of this type of incident is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
“Just because we put out a notification, doesn’t mean that at that moment the suspect has been taken into custody and is guilty,” he said.
The suspects from both incidents aren’t in custody while NCCU Police gathers information.
“Just like I tell your parents, I’m gonna do everything I can to keep your kids safe.” said Williams.
