Students determine results of mock case

Residence halls simulate rape trial proceedings

By Anna Herkamp
Staff Writer

In a mock-trial held Monday night, a jury of Purdue students decided that a suspected rapist was not guilty of sexual assault, sexual battery or rape.

It is the most typical party situation imaginable. A girl goes to a party with some friends and sees a guy there that she likes. There is alcohol at the party. The girl and guy both consciously decide to drink. They have sex with each other.

Is this sex a result of drinking, or was it a natural end to a social situation that occurs hundreds of times a week on every college campus in America?

The outcome of the case was left to a false jury of from Fowler Hall. Residence hall staff portrayed the defendant and plaintiff.

Bob said the sex was completely consensual and that Jane acted as if she wanted, or even encouraged the behavior.

Jane said that she was raped, as was indicated from the beginning of her testimony by herself as well as witnesses

The jury concluded that Bob was not guilty based on inconclusive evidence.

Although it is commonly known that a lot of sexual behavior occurs at college parties, it is often unclear how much of it is truly consensual sex or rape.

"One in ten actual rapes get reported to the police," said Cheryl Ubelhor, Executive Director of the Lafayette Crisis Center. The mock trial served as its own testimony to let the jury decide the guilt of the accused.

According to Jennifer Gutwein, deputy prosecutor for Tippecanoe County, if a girl is drunk she must be able to give consent for sex.

In the mock trial, as in many real-life cases, the girl did not verbalize her agreement to have sex. She pushed him away, but did not say no. In reality it may have been enough evidence to put together a case with the prosecutor.

However, in the mock trial, the defense said that since she did not verbalize the word no, Bob couldn't know that she didn’t want him to proceed.

Sexual assault is a very real problem on Purdue’s campus. Allison Roodman, Ph.D. and staff counselor at Counseling and Psychological services, did a study of undergraduate women in an introductory level psychology class.

Of the 290 women who were 18 years and older, 21 percent said that they have been in a situation where a man tried to have sex with them when they were too influenced by alcohol or drugs to stop him. Of the women surveyed, 9 percent said they had sex and 2 percent said they were raped.

Roodman pointed out that these women had been in college only two or three months when this happened.

Steve Akers, executive associate of the dean of students, said that many times the Purdue police come to their office with possible rape cases.

The University holds its own investigation regarding those students involved, and decides separately from the courts who is guilty. If a male were proven guilty, he would be expelled.

The dean of students deals primarily with the status of the student, not paying attention to a criminal record. Akers stressed that the University's focus is on behavior, not crime.

It is important that everyone is made aware of these situations, said Brion St. Amour, a counselor at Cary Quadrangle and a coordinator of the mock trial. St. Amour said it is especially important that men are informed about such crimes because in society today men are pressured to initiate sex.

It is a very fine line that can be crossed, and each side may be telling the truth, said Harold Schriefer, staff resident of Hilltop Apartments.

It’s all a matter of perspective, he said.

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