Victims of College Campus Sexual Assault: What You Need To Know

You are not alone. If you or someone you know had been sexually assaulted on campus, you must be scared, frightened and unsure of what steps to take. It is crucial that you seek legal council right away and confide in your parents or a close relative if you can.
A recent example at Hobart and William Smith College highlights some of the injustices sexual assault victims face. At that school, a freshman claimed she brutally raped at the hands of up to eight fellow college attendees after a night of drinking. The university persuaded the young woman not to report the sexual assualt to the police, that it would be a drawn out process. When she later changed her mind, it was too late and the case was closed for lack of evidence. The school instead held its own hearing with no advocate to speak up for the victim. The panelists interrupted her answers, at times misrepresented evidence and asked about a campus-police report she had not seen. In addition they held the hearing before the rape-kit results were known. On top of all that, they did not protect her identity, but instead used her name in dozens of letter sent to students

It is for these reasons, we must stress the importance of contacting a competent attorney right away if you have been sexually assaulted on a college or university campus.

Our compassionate team of lawyers will listen to your case and try to help. We have offices conveniently located in Nassau County, Suffolk County and midtown Manhattan. Contact us at 516-874-0466 or fill out the form through our website.

Key Things to Remember:

• Call an attorney first before deciding to just rely on the school officials to handle the matter.
• If you call us, we will not judge you.
• We will go over all of your options with you (whether to contact police, go through the school, and/or both)
• Our lawyers will be there for you during the entire investigation, including all court room appearances or school board hearings.
• We will go over available resources to you such as RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network)
• Assist you in finding closure and help you obtain any medical aid and counseling.
• Determine if you may file a civil lawsuit in addition to pressing criminal charges.  A Personal Injury Lawyer can assist victims in collecting compensation for emotional and physical pain and suffering, medical expenses, and costs related to your injury. You have the right to sue not only the assailant but any other party that might be partly responsible.

Our goal is not only to hold the perpetrators to justice, but to hold accountable the officials who looked the other way or the entities and individuals who failed in their duty to prevent such acts in the first place.

For a free, confidential consultation with an experienced sexual assault victims attorney please don’t hesitate, call us today at 516-874-0466 or fill out our webform.