COLIN LIKAS | Editor-In-Chief
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a rape by force that reportedly occurred in a Butler University residence hall early Sunday morning.
The sex crime is the fourth to be reported in Butler University Police Department crime logs in the last three and a half months.
BUPD is assisting IMPD with the current investigation, according to a timely warning sent to the university Monday by Ben Hunter, chief of staff and executive director of public safety.
The timely warning, which was sent approximately 24 hours after the rape was reported, also states that a suspect has been identified. The notice also reported this individual may have been involved in another sexual assault that was previously unreported to BUPD.
Matt Mindrum, vice president of marketing and communications, provided comment on the reported crime on behalf of Hunter, who was unable to comment.
“While the number of reported sexual assaults at Butler is not unusual among similar institutions, even one incident is too many,” Mindrum said via email. “Through education and enforcement, we continue to work toward reducing the number of reported sexual assaults.
“The university is committed to providing campus educational programming to raise awareness around sexual violence, relationship or dating violence, and other related issues such as drugs and alcohol.”
Other sex crimes to occur in the last three and a half months include a reported rape off campus on Jan. 19, a reported rape off campus on Dec. 8, and an alleged sexual assault on campus Nov. 8.
The timely warning was the 12th sent by university officials since Jan. 1, 2013. Four of the 12 have been related to sex crimes.
“The decision to issue a timely warning is made on a case-by-case basis,” Mindrum said. “In this situation, our decision to issue a warning was driven primarily by the allegation of a previously unreported assault by the alleged perpetrator against a different survivor.”
IMPD’s Sex Offense Section did not return a call requesting an incident report pertaining to the reported rape.