Police report says men cheered as woman was assaulted at fraternity house
A 21-year-old woman reported being sexually assaulted in a bathroom at an Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house near the University of Chicago. A police report says a group of men gathered outside and appeared to cheer or encourage what was happening; the allegations have brought renewed scrutiny of safety and party culture at US colleges.
The woman’s friends said they found her not fully conscious, with her clothes lowered, while a man held her wrists. One friend said she forced her way into the bathroom after hearing men make lewd remarks, and later chased the man, who allegedly said the woman had wanted the encounter. The university said a person of interest had been identified using witness accounts and video, but no one had been charged; authorities said neither the woman nor the suspect was affiliated with the university. The fraternity chapter denied that its members were involved and said it was supporting the investigation.
- A woman reported an assault at a Chicago fraternity house.
- A police report says men gathered outside the bathroom.
- Investigators identified a person of interest; no charge was reported.
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Alpha Epsilon Pi is a student fraternity, a membership organisation that often holds social events at a chapter house. The University of Chicago is a separate institution, and the university says neither the woman nor the person police have identified as a person of interest is affiliated with it.
In the United States, universities and police can have different roles in responding to incidents near campus. Police investigate possible crimes and decide whether charges are brought; universities can address conduct by their own students, while fraternities may also face questions about how their events and premises are managed.
The case has drawn attention to how people at college parties respond when someone may be in danger, and to the responsibilities of hosts and bystanders. The fraternity chapter has denied its members were involved and says it is supporting the investigation.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Woman, 21, was raped at Chicago frat party as gang of men cheered outside bathroom where attack was unfolding, police report claims”.