DENVER — The University of Denver has issued a safety alert after a student reported they were raped in their dorm room.
According to DU, the student said the incident happened on May 31 while they were sleeping in their Hilltop Hall dorm room. The student reported it to the university's Department of Campus Safety around 8:42 p.m. Tuesday, according to the safety alert.
University officials said there was no sign of forced entry into the room and there is no suspect information.
In its alert, DU said victimization is never the fault of the survivor. The university issued the following safety tips:
- Lock exterior residence doors at all times and do not allow individuals you do not know to enter a residence hall or apartment building behind you. Keep your room or apartment door locked.
- Perpetrators choose victims for their vulnerability, not based on how they look or act. Sexual assault is a crime of hostility and violence toward the victim. People often engage in victim blaming. It is a way to preserve the false belief that they will be safe from sexual assault “if only” they do not do what the victim did. However, sexual assault is never the victim’s fault. Only the perpetrator chooses to commit sexual assault.
- Be active in supporting a safe and respectful community. If you see others engaging in disrespectful or inappropriate actions, speak up and get involved, or contact someone else to assist.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Campus Safety at 303-871-2334 or the Denver Police Department at 720-913-2000.
If you or someone you know have been the victim of sexual assault, help is available through the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA).
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