Truman student allegedly assaulted off campus

A sexual assault allegedly took place April 10 between a female Truman State student and a male acquaintance, says Sara Holzmeier, Truman’s Department of Public Safety Director.

The Kirksville Police Department took control of the case, because the report stated the incident occurred at a fraternity house on Michigan Street, Holzmeier says.

Holzmeier says when students report cases of sexual assault, the Truman Department of Public Safety or KPD treat the case as a criminal matter.

“Since it occurred off campus, we contacted KPD and had them meet us at the hospital. Then they took over the investigation from there,” Holzmeier says.

There were 12 reported cases of sexual assault from 2012-14, with only four of them being reported as occurring off-campus, according to the 2015 DPS Campus Crime Report.

Cases of sexual misconduct involving Truman students go through the Title IX process, which includes providing victims with access to medical care and informing victims of the availability of counseling and legal assistance.

“Everyone has the right to have an education free of intimidation,” Holzmeier says.