Students call for clear amnesty policy

Boston University’s alcohol policy quickly became the center of debate at a panel discussion last night as students challenged administrators to consider formalizing an amnesty policy that would encourage students to report sexual assaults if a victim has been drinking.

Several students voiced their support for such a policy and questioned why administrators have balked at a written policy at “Assaulted Under the Influence,” sponsored by the Student Union and Every Person Counts in the Conference Auditorium of the George Sherman Union.

Administrators have recently said students who have been drinking may be punished less in incidents involving medical emergencies, though BU will not consider a full amnesty policy.

Though the panel had been planned for almost a month along with other awareness events this week, discussions of rape and alcohol have been heightened after a female visitor to Warren Towers reported she was sexually assaulted in one of the dorm’s bathrooms early Sept. 30.

Daryl DeLuca, an assistant dean of students and the former director of Judicial Affairs said it is a myth that the school punishes victims of sexual assault who have been drinking.

“Our number-one concern is to disarm some of those allegations or rumors,” he said to about 50 students in the auditorium.

Although there is not a written amnesty policy, DeLuca said it is BU’s practice not to sanction students for alcohol abuse if they are reporting sexual assaults.

“Alcohol abuse and sexual assault are closely related – you can’t divorce the two issues,” said Dr. David McBride, the director of Student Health Services. “Enforcing the drinking age of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is part of BU’s alcohol policy, but we’re looking primarily for the safety of the student. We look at each case in an individual way.”

Many sexual assaults involve alcohol to “mask intentions,” said John Ryan, a sexual assault investigator for the BU Police Department.

“We’re not here to persecute or blame students for alcohol abuse,” he said. “We don’t judge. We’re here to get the facts, to help people and to investigate.”

College of Arts and Sciences senior Katie Geiss, the founder of advocacy group Bring BU Back, said an amnesty policy must be formalized.

“The main problem is that it isn’t written down,” Geiss said. “We’ll work on changing the policies if [the administration] works on improving their practices.”

CAS senior Alexandra Smith, who sat on the panel, said she believes the administration cares about students but should have taken action to change policies before last month’s alleged sexual assault.

DeLuca said it is important for students to understand safety protocol, such as filing police reports, having access to centers and other resources and moving on or off campus if students are uncomfortable with their residences.

“If we all knew it ahead of time, we would feel empowered and supported by the university,” said Smith, who also said she previously did not know about sexual assault resources on campus.

Sexual violence can end only if students are more aware of whom they associate with, because rape is often premeditated and occurs between people who know each other, said Boston Area Rape Crisis Center representative Peggy Barrett.

Sexual assault cases are not always reported, which makes adressing the topic that much more important, said Every Person Counts vice president Carrie Chiusano in an email.

“It has gone unrecognized by much of the student body,” said Chiusano, a College of Communication junior.

COM junior Lyndsey Albertson said the students who engaged in the discussion showed they care about the seriousness of sexual assault and the need to change the way incidents are handled.

“There has to be more movement to try to reach the more apathetic people in the BU community,” she said. “There needs to be a change in the cultural views of rape and sexual assault.”