UPDATE: April 8 Reported Sexual Assault Near Memorial Union

The purpose of this update is to provide a response to the numerous calls, public messages, and requests for updates about the Crime Warning issued on Friday, April 8 regarding a sexual assault at knifepoint. UWPD cares about the safety of the campus community and takes all reports of crime seriously.

On Friday, April 8, 2016, a 23-year-old woman was visiting Madison. She was near the UW Alumni House on Lake Street when a UWPD officer spotted her. Her clothes were wet from the knees down and she seemed to be in extreme distress. When she was contacted by our officer, the woman indicated she was sexually assaulted by three unknown men at knifepoint sometime between the time she left a downtown bar and when the officer located her. At that time, she was unable to provide a description of the suspects.

The victim was transported to a local hospital and was offered many resources and services. UWPD issued a Crime Warning, per federal Clery requirements, to inform our community.

In the days following, UWPD investigators worked to retrace the victim’s footsteps from the downtown bar to the Alumni House. We reviewed indoor and outdoor surveillance footage, conducted interviews, and canvased the area to find witnesses. Investigators also reached out to the victim several times to gather additional information about the incident.

Through surveillance footage and phone logs, we can trace the woman’s whereabouts on April 8 from 9:53 p.m., when she left a downtown bar alone, until 10:37 p.m., when she was contacted by a UWPD officer. The evidence gathered does not support that a sexual assault occurred in that timeframe or at that location. Potential perpetrators were not located on surveillance cameras.

Based on information from the woman about a sexual assault that occurred a number of years ago, the UWPD sensitive crimes detective assigned to the case – with years of training and experience related to trauma response – believes it is highly likely the woman was referring to a previous traumatic incident.

We believe this woman was assaulted at some point in her life– but not at this time and location. Therefore, there is not a threat to our campus community related to this reported incident.

Sexual assault is a very serious crime and it is unimaginably traumatizing for survivors. We take all reports of sexual assault seriously and investigate thoroughly. There are many resources on and off campus to help survivors – read a list of available resources.