Research by: Abby Ashey, Brooke Thorton, Sam Kenney
PLYMOUTH – Nearly two months ago a Plymouth State senior was brutally attacked leaving Campus Police and Plymouth Police to unravel the event, which only became more tightly tangled.
Amid claims that the victim knew one or more of her attackers, last week that student was fined in Plymouth District Court and, in a separate University proceeding, suspended from the University.
On September 26, according to a press release and campus bulletin at the time, the alleged victim was attacked and brought to Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth where the victim was attended to and the attack was recorded. The victim gave her first statement to the police claiming that three men had attacked her from behind in the vicinity of Pleasant and Langdon Streets.
According to Campus Police, at this time the victim was asked if she wanted to speak with Women’s Services, contrary to an editorial in the October 28 edition of the The Clock, the victim refused the service.
A campus-wide email was then sent out notifying students, faculty, and staff of the events and urging people to use proper safety precautions, including walking in groups and in well lit, heavily traveled areas.
The Clock published an editorial in the September 30 edition notifying the campus of the attack, going by the details that were given at that time, in he press release and in the campus bulletin.
According to John Clark, Chief of Plymouth State University Campus Police, Campus police looked at the alleged victim’s statement and the facts, compared it to statistics and thought it didn’t quite fit, that it “wasn’t probable.”
Lieutenant Clark, of Plymouth Police Department, examined the information and thought it was suspicious. The police then had an expert (who remains anonymous) come in and review the information; from there the expert decided that it was falsified.
Clark says two eyewitnesses stated that the alleged victim returned to her residence unharmed.
Campus police then called the alleged victim in again and requested clarification of the contradicting information they had received. After hours of talking with the victim she stuck with her original story, and gave the police her second statement, the same as the first.
According to Clark, the alleged victim had now falsified her statement twice. Campus police called her in again on October 21 and continued to talk, at which point she apparently changed her story.
Clark agrees the victim was attacked; however he claims she was only beaten by one person, whom she knew. The alleged attacker was with two other men that the victim was familiar with but didn’t specifically know, (making them accessories to the crime) and the attack had happened in the vicinity of the alleged victim’s residence.
According to Clark, campus police then made the victim aware that she would most likely be arrested for falsifying her report. According to Clark, she still refuses to give the name, so the police cannot do anything to protect her.
Clark states, however, that the victim did state that the attacker doesn’t go to school here or live in the area, so there is not a direct threat to the campus community.
On October 26 the alleged victim was arrested on the charge of unsworn falsification and released on personal recognizance bail until her arraignment on November 14.
The second press release pertaining to this case was posted on the Plymouth State University website on October 26 stating there was an arrest that morning of the alleged victim. The press release identified the alleged victim by name. The victim had contacted Chief of Campus Police, Clark, who had told her that her name would not be disclosed, but this press release had not come from Campus police, it had come from Plymouth Police.
While the publication of the alleged victim’s name caused a furor among some students and faculty, officials claim it was not an illegal violation of her rights or of police policy. Because the alleged victim was not a minor and had to be arraigned in Plymouth Court, it became “public information in the civil arena which is not protected by FERPA [Family Education Rights and Privacy Act],” according to Dean of Students, Dick Hage.
After the victim had contacted Clark about the disclosure of her name and Hage noticed the mistake it was changed. “This is a departure of our practice,” explained Hage, “Our preferred practice is not to use a student’s name.” In the October 28 Clock editorial, Editor, Emily Perry, criticized this second press release for implying that the alleged victim had falsified the entire story, for disclosing the victim’s name, and for failing to acknowledge that the victim had nevertheless been attacked and beaten severely.
The alleged victim was arraigned on November 14 at Plymouth District Court. She pleaded guilty to a charge of unsworn falsification, a Class A Misdemeanor. She was fined $600 and one year of good behavior in lieu of a 10-day sentence in the Grafton County House of Corrections.
In a separate campus disciplinary proceeding, earlier this week, the alleged victim was suspended. Hage and other University officials, citing FERPA restrictions, were unable to comment on further judicial proceedings.
Timeline of events:
* September 26, Attack in the vicinity of Langdon and Pleasant Street, alleged victim taken to Speare Memorial and documented.* September 27, Alleged victim gives first statement. Campus wide email notifying community of the event.* September 30, The Clock publishes the first editorial, supporting the search for the three perps.* Between Sept 30 and October 20, Campus Police investigates and decides the allegations are fishy. Two eye witness see victim return to residence unharmed. Victim is brought in two more times for clarification.* October 21, Victim breaks down and admits she knows one of her attackers that it happened in the area of her residence. Victim is made aware of the possibility of her arrest.* October 26, the alleged victim is arrested on the charges of unsworn falsification. Is released on personal recognizance bail.* October 28, The Clock publishes final editorial criticizing the measures taken to protect the alleged victim and the extent of the measures taken post confession. University of New Hampshire student paper, The New Hampshire, publishes article comparing a similar incident on their campus to this incident.* November 14, the alleged victim’s arraignment, $600 fine, one year good behavior. Notification of suspension.