VA- RU student recants story about being assaulted

10-20-2009 Virginia:

A Radford University student who reported being sexually assaulted by a stranger last week has recanted her story.

The university issued a description of a suspect in the case on Oct. 8 and disseminated a "timely warning" to the university community, as required by federal law.

The student told RU police that she was assaulted near Peters Hall by a stranger and gave a detailed description of the alleged assailant.

On Thursday, university spokesman Jeff Douglas issued a news release that read in part: "investigators have determined that the alleged victim fabricated the details of the description" and that the complaint was unfounded.

"The student's motive for filing a false report is unknown," Douglas wrote.

She has been referred to the campus judicial system and could face possible sanctions for filing a false complaint.

Campus police are investigating another report of a sexual assault that allegedly occurred Sunday, Douglas said in an interview.

It's unclear if the victim in that case knew the alleged assailant.

Since August, Radford city police have received five reports of forcible rape off campus, Chief Don Goodman wrote in an e-mail this week.

One of those cases resulted in an arrest.

So far this year, the number of sexual assault and rape reports in the city do not seem elevated relative to other years, Goodman said. ..Source.. by Tonia Moxley