Hufsa Tahir Staff Writer @excalweb
An on-campus sexual assault support organization was recently faced with hateful vandalism. The message was written in marker on the door of one of their private offices meant as a safe place for staff and volunteers. The location of this office is not publicized to SASSL non-members.
Law and society student and Sexual Assault Survivors’ Support Line (SASSL) events coordinator Samantha Lampert and her fellow SASSL executives had gone there around 8 a.m. February 4. The group came across the message: “Watch out! I’m gonna rape you again!” scrawled in marker on the door.
Lampert and the other executives, who were at the location to prepare for SASSL volunteer training that day, notified York security. York security alerted Toronto police, who held a conference call with a SASSL executive.
“We closed up the office at 1 p.m. on Friday,” Lampert says. “So it happened between then and Saturday morning.”
According to police, the investigation is currently ongoing.
“This act is part of a rape culture that is not exclusive to York University or the York community,” read a SASSL press release published February 7. “SASSL condemns the actions of the people responsible for this threat. A rape culture supports rape and violence against women. It is a culture that accepts this rape and sexual violence as a norm.”
Wallace Pidgeon of York media says York is taking the incident very seriously and is working with Toronto police.
“It’s one of those things that you never hope happens,” says Pidgeon. “We understand the severity, and are working with SASSL to assist and support them in any way we can.”
You can read the full press release at www.yorku.ca/sassl With files from Yuni Kim
