The Notre Dame Police Department has received a report of an incident of sexual battery (as defined by Indiana law) that occurred on campus in the late-night hours of August 28, 2021.
The incident was initially mentioned to the South Bend Police Department while investigating a separate crime on August 29, 2021, and then reported to NDPD on August 31, 2021. The female victim reported she believes she was given a date rape drug in a North Quad men’s residence hall prior to the sexual battery which may have occurred at another unknown location on campus. She was unable to provide a description of the suspect at the time of the report. The Notre Dame Police Department has been in contact with the victim as well as with our partners in South Bend.
Sexual assault and other sex-based misconduct can happen to anyone. Anyone initiating any kind of sexual contact with another person must seek consent and not engage in sexual contact unless consent is given. According to the University’s Policy on Discriminatory Harassment, Sexual Harassment, and Other Sex-Based Misconduct (the “Policy”), “consent” means “informed, freely given agreement, communicated by clearly understandable words or actions, to participate in each form of sexual activity. Consent cannot be inferred from silence, passivity, or lack of active resistance.” Importantly, intoxication is not an excuse for failure to obtain consent, and a person who is incapacitated—whether by alcohol, drugs, or otherwise—is incapable of giving consent. For more information on consent and incapacitation, see Section 5 of the Policy.
On college campuses, perpetrators are more likely to assault an acquaintance than a stranger. Being aware of your own safety and watching out for your friends are important steps you can take to reduce the risk of sexual assault.
The perpetrator, not the survivor, is responsible for any instance of sexual assault. Nothing a survivor does or does not do is an excuse for sexual assault.
Information about sexual assault prevention and resources for survivors of sexual assault are available from NDSP at https://police.nd.edu/ and at the Committee for Sexual Assault Prevention website at https://titleix.nd.edu/committee-on-sexual-assault/.
To report a crime in progress, suspicious activity (crime may be occurring), fire or medical emergency, dial 9-1-1 from any campus phone or dial 574-631-5555 from your cellular telephone.
Originally published by at police.nd.edu on September 01, 2021.