The University of Wisconsin-Madison released a joint statement Monday with University Health Services and the UW-Madison Police Department after a UW-Madison alumna published an account of her sexual assault in The Daily Cardinal.
Erin Reilly, a UW-Madison alumna, wrote about her experience with sexual assault on campus, which included being discouraged from reporting the incident by counselors.
Dean of Students Lori Berquam, UWPD Chief Susan Riseling and UHS Director Sarah Van Orman contributed to the statement, which expressed the university’s sympathy for Reilly, and detailed the available resources on campus for victims of sexual assault.
There are many resources available on campus for students who are victims of sexual assault, including the Dean of Students office, mental health staff at UHS, UWPD and the Rape Crisis Center, according to Van Orman.
“[Sexual assault] is way too common and it affects way too many young people,” Van Orman said. “One [victim] is too many, but numbers are startling on college campuses.”
In response to the article, Riseling said she has instituted a new policy for UWPD to provide new, clean linens for any victim whose linens are confiscated for an investigation, like Reilly had experienced.
Riseling said she cannot imagine anyone in her department ever discouraging a victim from reporting a sexual assault and urges students to feel comfortable enough to report such instances. She also said by receiving feedback from students, UWPD is able to adjust its policies and procedures to help students in the best way possible.
“We are here to make [the situation] better and connect [victims] with services as soon as possible,” Riseling said. “The last thing I ever want to do is discourage someone from reporting.”
