Police Investigate An 'Acquaintance Rape'

The Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) began investigations last Thursday into an alleged rape in one of the first-year dorms.

Though all details of the case are confidential, HUPD spokesperson Peggy A. McNamara said that the case is currently under investigation by police and College officials and that no arrest has been made.

According to McNamara, police have labeled the incident an “acquaintance rape”—meaning that the identity of the suspect was known to the victim.

McNamara would not comment on whether both parties were Harvard students.

In both 1998 and 1999, 11 forcible sex offenses were reported to Harvard administrators. Last year, that figure increased to 16.

In November 2000, police reported another sexual assault committed in a first-year dorm against a female undergraduate. The attacker’s identity was not known.

If a student is raped, he or she may prosecute through both the Ad Board and the criminal justice system.

Under current Harvard policy, a student convicted by the Ad Board of rape will most likely be required to withdraw.

—Staff writer Alex B. Ginsberg can be reached at ginsberg@fas.harvard.edu.