Hundreds Of Rape, Dating Violence Reports At University of Utah Linked To One Ex-Partner
ByThe number of reported rapes at the University of Utah jumped nearly sixfold between 2022 and 2023, with 150 of the 175 cases linked to a single relationship.
According to materials shared with University Herald on Friday, the victim said they had "an almost daily pattern of nonconsensual sex with their ex-partner — both on and off campus."
"During the seven-month relationship, which spanned 2021 and 2022, at times he stalked the student, following them into campus housing. And threatened the student physically — sometimes with a gun," the university said in a Thursday letter to the school community. "Now, nearly a year later, the student reported the abuse."
The number of reported rapes in 2022 was 30, according to the school's recently released 2023 Annual Security and Fire Report.
A notable rise in dating violence allegations is also noted with 158 reports, up from four in 2022 and 2021. That amount was also linked to the single relationship, officials said.
No additional information will be provided about the victim in order to preserve their privacy, communications officials said.
Chief Safety Officer Keith Squires said the university takes this behavior very seriously.
"We recognize that intimate partner violence can be a singular event or a pattern of behavior that occurs over multiple years," he said. "We believe our community members."
All colleges and universities that take part in federal financial assistance programs are required by the federal Clery Act to maintain and publish information regarding crimes occurring on and around their campuses.
Because the Clery Act's definition of stalking differs from the Utah's, the number of stalking cases also climbed dramatically, from 69 in 2022 to 117 in 2023, according to the report.
More than 75% of students said in the 2022 Campus Climate Survey that they would be "very" or "extremely" inclined to support a fellow student who reported an incident.