I am a senior at GW and I was raped in my freshman dorm room on November 16, 1996, at the age of seventeen. My rapist was my next-door neighbor, and a good friend.
According to the GW University Police Department (UPD) statistics for the year 1996, three rapes were reported. There were no statutory rapes reported that year. These numbers are unrealistically low. In my past years here, I have met several other women who were raped or assaulted on campus, none of whom chose to press charges against their rapist through Student Judicial Services. None of these women were included in those statistics.
Overall, college statistics do not reflect the true gravity of the problem on university campuses. In the hopes that my University would protect me and that justice would be served, I did choose to press charges with the University.
During the hearing, I was considered a witness and not allowed to speak unless in answer to questions by the student judges. However, my rapist was allowed to question the witnesses and defend himself. I was to remain silent, without any prosecutorial agency. A few weeks later, by the four student judges (a panel that he was allowed to choose), he was found "not in violation"