Woman Sexually Assaulted at University of Chicago Fraternity Party
Suspect fled the scene following the alleged attack at the Alpha Epsilon Pi house, according to student newspaper.
A 21-year-old woman was allegedly sexually assaulted at a fraternity party at the University of Chicago, with the suspect seen fleeing the building, according to student newspaper The Chicago Maroon.
The alleged incident occurred early Saturday morning at the house of the Lambda chapter of the Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) fraternity in the Hyde Park neighborhood. The accuser, who is not a student at the university, stated that the assault took place around 1:50 a.m., approximately three hours after the party began.
Someone intervened during the incident, and the suspect subsequently fled the party. Campus police reported that the suspect was later observed on surveillance footage running from the building.
The national organization for AEPi issued a statement acknowledging the incident. "All of AEPi hurts for the person who was the victim in this incident," Jonathan Pierce, chief communications officer for AEPi, told The Chicago Maroon. "No one should attend an event on any campus — fraternity-based or otherwise — and have to fear for their safety and wellbeing."
The alleged assault at the University of Chicago comes amid heightened national attention on fraternity-related sexual assault allegations, including a recent high-profile case at Cornell University. In that incident, a lawsuit was filed against seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity following an alleged gang rape. The accuser in the Cornell case claims she was given ketamine and alcohol before being assaulted for hours in the frat house.
While no criminal charges were filed in the Cornell case initially, the Tompkins County District Attorney's office has reopened the criminal investigation, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed the state's Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor. The seven men named in the lawsuit have denied any criminal wrongdoing.
The accuser in the University of Chicago incident received treatment at the University of Chicago Medical Center following the alleged assault. The Chicago Police Department has not immediately responded to a request for comment.