Campus sexual assaults have dominated the news for the past couple of years. Numerous protests, high-profile cases, and botched investigations have led to numerous stories that all tell the same tale. The school failed to investigate, the victim was marginalized, and the offender was treated too lightly for the public to bear. The negative coverage may lead to overly aggressive prosecutions as investigators overcompensate. But, that does not deter research into the causes and perpetrators of sexual assault. This post will go over the latest study, as reported by the New York Times.
A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that serial rapists compose as much as 25 percent of self-admitted rapists. The study interviewed college-age males and found that, while a large number admitted to behavior that could be construed as sexual assault, 25 percent admitted to being serial offenders. This study is recent in a long line of research that attempts to measure the number of serial rapists against other criminals.
The recent spate of lawsuits universally alleges that the school failed to properly investigate allegations of sexual assault and failed to take protective actions. The result, these lawsuits allege, the university enabled serial rapists to stay on campus and victimize other people. The schools are fighting these suits, but numerous studies illustrate that serial offenders are unsettlingly familiar on campus.
If you are charged with sexual assault charges, especially in connection with a university assault, you may want to contact a defense attorney as soon as possible. As this article illustrates, police and prosecutors are taking these charges very seriously. A lawyer will ensure that you are treated fairly and not the victim of an aggressive prosecution. You are entitled to the same defenses as everyone else. An attorney can stand between you and an aggressive prosecutor.
Source: The New York Times, “When Campus Rapists Are Repeat Offenders,” Stephanie Saul, January 24, 2017