Campus was shaken a couple of weeks ago by an email that was sent out by Stevens Campus Police regarding a crime that had occurred on campus. On October 27, a female student was sexually assaulted by an unknown man while walking on campus at around 2:20 a.m. She was walking at 9th Street and Castle Point Terrace when he approached the student on an electric bike and groped her.
The man then followed the student up 9th street and down Wittpenn Walk, where he continued to pursue her until she entered her Harries Tower residence building. According to the police who reviewed the security footage, the man had been lurking and hiding on campus prior to his assault on the student. The same footage revealed an earlier encounter that night, which was suspicious but did not escalate to an assault. The three other female students had joined as a group and moved quickly to get away from the man.
This is not the first time incidents like this have happened in Hoboken. Over the summer, there was an incident in which a man, also on an electric bike, sexually assaulted multiple women in different places around Hoboken. These incidents happened in late July and involved at least three different women being groped by this individual in the span of one hour, though in this instance, in broad daylight rather than at night. While it remains unclear whether the man responsible for these incidents was apprehended, it is known to be a different actor than the man responsible for the incident on campus on October 27.
The student body was alerted to the assault in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, commonly known as the Clery Act, as required by federal law. The act takes its name in memory of Jeanne Clery, a student at Lehigh University, who was raped and murdered in 1986. The law, enacted in 1990, mandates that any criminal activity on or near campus be reported directly to students. Its intention is to disclose information and warn the campus community when there is a risk to public safety, allowing students to respond accordingly to keep themselves and others safe.
The Clery Act is one of a few different laws meant to protect students from crime. It is similar to Megan’s Law, which requires all sex offenders to be placed on a public sex offender registry. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a related law that expanded protections for survivors of sexual assault and made it so universities must report on their statistics of sexual violence and provide prevention programming. These laws aim to expand the information available to students about potential safety risks so they can be informed and make the best possible decisions for their safety.
The advice that was given to students at the end of the “Timely Warning Notice” email is considered good common sense when dealing with potential threats coming onto campus. Stay alert and aware of your surroundings, particularly at night, and when possible travel in groups. Campus Police also advised people to stay in brightly lit areas away from bike lanes. In the case of an attack, try to fight back against the assailant and scream loudly to attract the attention of any bystanders. The Campus Police are available to help students and have increased their patrol count in a renewed effort to keep the campus safe. All students are encouraged to download and use the Stevens Guardian app for immediate assistance and more safety resources. You can use the app if you ever feel unsafe in your surroundings while on or around campus or you can contact Stevens Campus Police at 201-215-5105.
