Next week, the University will host the annual Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network’s day of awareness to educate students about sexual violence on campus.
Last week, multiple news outlets reported the arrest of third-year LSU law student Abdellatif Devol for forcible rape. Since that time, a second woman has stepped forward, alleging another incident against Devol.
The East Baton Rouge Police Department and the Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office are now charging Devol with two counts of forcible rape, two counts of sexual battery and one count of attempted forcible rape.
She was able to call out her accused rapist, but only after another woman pressed charges. This took strength.
But it shouldn’t have been as difficult as the numbers show.
Since 2009, no one on or off campus has reported forcible of nonforcible sexual assault to the LSU Police Department, according to annual statistics compiled by LSUPD While this could mean that most cases fall under the jurisdiction of BRPD or another law enforcement body, as was the case this past week, it also illustrates that the majority of these sexual assault cases are under-reported.
A friend of one survivor told The Daily Reveille last week that she wanted more survivors, if there were any, to come forward.
We would like to expand this plea. If there are any rape survivors who have let these offenses go unreported, we want you to know there are options around campus to provide support.
There has long been a history in society of sexual assaults not being reported, being ignored or not being taken seriously, and our University should not be a place where we as a student body allow this tradition to continue.
On Sept. 17, the Reveille reported the rebranding of LSU’s Sexual Assault Victim Advocates program — partially through not using the word “victim” in the title and switching to the more succinct Lighthouse — in an attempt to make it more accessible to the potential survivors of sexual assault.
You are not a victim.
Lighthouse believes that, the Baton Rouge Sexual Trauma and Awareness Response Center believes that and your fellow students at The Daily Reveille believe that.
These outlets, along with police stations, exist so you can report these crimes and seek any help you may need as a survivor.
Lighthouse Coordinator Mendy Escudier estimated that, out of the nearly 30,000 students at LSU, there are about 1,000 sexual assaults each year, and only 40 of those victims come forward to report the crime.
As difficult as it may be to report traumatic crimes of this nature, letting the right authorities know is necessary to ensure that justice is served.
To the remaining 960: There is help, and we want you to come forward.
In Baton Rouge, students have a number of different options to get support after sexual assaults or help in reporting these crimes.
STAR has a 24-hour local hotline, (225) 383-7273, as well as contact information for other sexual assault centers throughout the state. Lighthouse, located in the Student Health Center, provides free sexual assault collection kits and trains faculty and staff to help students.
There is strength in numbers, as the recent story of two survivors standing up to their accused rapist shows. If you or someone you know is also a survivor of an unreported sexual assault, please point them to these resources, and let them know there is assistance available.
CORRECTION: While national RAINN day is typically celebrated on Sept. 26, the University will hold its first on-campus event on Oct. 1.