Toronto Police detective says he is “100 per cent sure” the school knew Monday about second sexual assault
A second sexual assault that occurred November 23 was not reported to students.
Detective sergeant Al Coulter of 31 Division told Excalibur that in addition to the sexual assault of a female walking into Vari Hall at 4:45 p.m. on November 23, which students were notified about, another sexual assault occurred the same day but wasn’t reported by the victim until Monday.
“She came out of Steacie Library, and as she was waiting for the 196B TTC bus, someone came from behind and grabbed her,” says Coulter of the sexual assault.
The victim didn’t immediately notify anyone of the incident, but went home and discussed it with her husband before finally reporting it on Monday.
Coulter says he is “absolutely, 100 per cent sure that the school knows about this incident.”
“What the lead detective does is call the university to contact York security to see if they have video of the incident,” he says.
Joanne Rider of York media says the university’s security bulletin protocol includes criteria stating “that a security bulletin will be issued when a serious incident has occurred and if there is risk of recurrence.”
“So the incident that was reported on Monday is, of course, serious in nature, but it occurred at 3:15 p.m. last Friday, and there was a reccurrence that took place at 4:45 p.m., which had already been reported,” Rider explains.
Rider further explains the sexual assault that occurred in Vari Hall was considered as the “recurrence.” Thus, according to the security bulletins protocol, the second sexual assault, which happened on the same day, but was reported Monday, November 26, is not required to be broadcasted as a bulletin to the York community.
“There had already been another occurrence, so it’s really timing. The timing dictates, with this particular occurrence, that the risk of recurrence had already unfortunately taken place,” says Rider.
This new criteria for security bulletins, implemented on October 31, 2012, indicates that an incident will not be broadcasted if a recurrence has already taken place.
The suspect in both sexual assault cases appears to be the same person, Coulter says.
As of last week, five Toronto Police officers have been patrolling the campus along with York security following four other incidents, including robberies and sexual assaults, which all occurred on campus last week.
“Certainly, York University is committed to a safe environment and to working with students, staff, and faculty across the campus, and we have articulated a protocol that facilitates effective communication when occurrences do happen and when there is a risk of recurrence,” says Rider.
By Hamid Adem, Assistant News Editor
