Trigger warning: This article includes mention of sexual assault.
The Charlottesville Police Department responded to a reported incident of rape at 1619 University Ave at 12:35 a.m. Monday morning in front of the Bank of America on the Corner. The incident occurred 25 minutes earlier at 12:10 a.m, per a community alert sent Monday morning by Timothy Longo, vice president for security and safety and chief of the University Police Department.
Monday’s alert marked the ninth of the semester and the first pertaining to an incident of sexual assault.
Per the report, the survivor was assaulted by a perpetrator whom they had met earlier at Boylan Heights, a bar located on the Corner at the intersection of 14th St. and University Ave. The perpetrator committed the violence inside of a silver sedan, possibly a four door model.
The perpetrator was described to police as a male in his twenties who spoke with an accent and was wearing a light colored shirt and khakis at the time of the incident.
According to the University’s Policy on Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence, prohibited behaviors of sexual misconduct include forcible rape, forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object, forcible fondling, incest and statuatory rape.
Individuals must gain affirmative consent with their sexual partner(s) before engaging in a specific sexual activity. Affirmative consent must be informed, voluntary and active to meet University guidelines and cannot be gained by taking advantage of “the incapacitation of another, where the person initiating sexual activity knew or reasonably should have known that the other was incapacitated.”
Victims of sexual or interpersonal violence are encouraged to report the incident by contacting law enforcement, filing a report through the University’s Just Report It webpage, filing a police report at the Universiy Emergency Department is medical attention is required or contacting the University’s Title IX Office at (434) 296-7988.
Individuals who wish to access confidential resources about sexual assault may visit the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights’ Sexual Assault webpage. Students wishing to speak confidentially about an instance of sexual or interpersonal violence should contact Counseling and Psychological Services at (434) 243-5150 and community members are encouraged to contact the Sexual Assault Resource Agency’s 24-hour hotline at (434) 977-7273.
“Community alerts” are shared with the University community when there is sufficient and timely information that can be released to the community without compromising any on-going investigations. “Timely warnings” are sent when a threat poses an “on-going threat” to the safety of the community.
The general public may opt-in to receive emergency alerts — urgent warnings of an imminent threat on Grounds — by texting “UVA” to 226787.
Anyone with information related to this incident, the suspect or the described vehicle should contact the Charlottesville Police at 434-970-3280 or call 911.