WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2004
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Groups aid in rape awareness
By Amanda O'Toole
aotoole@kansan.com
aotoluen staff writer
Two female University of Kansas students reported rapes July 9 and July 14 to Lawrence police.
These reports are reflective of national statistics that suggest only 25 percent of sexual assaults are reported to authorities, said Jerilyn Smith, director of survival services at the Gadugi Safe Center, 211 E. Eighth St.
One in four women, she said, will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime.
Sarah Jane Russell, executive director of the center, which was formerly Rape Victim Survival Service, said knowledge was the best prevention of sexual assault.
"It's important for students to know that 85 percent of perpetrators are people the victim knows," Russell said. "If a voice says to get out of there or assist a friend, they need to recognize that."
Schuyler Bailey, KU Public Safety Office captain, said students could prevent a potential dangerous situation by removing themselves from the situation entirely.
"If you feel uncomfortable in a situation, leave immediately," he said. "You need to know your surroundings and be
"It's important for students to know that 85 percent of perpetrators are people the victim knows."
Sarah Jane Russell
Former executive director of the center which was formerly Rape Victim Survival Service
able to make smart decisions. Being intoxicated lessens your ability to do this."
He said awareness was important for students to protect themselves.
Students need to be comfortable where they are and who they're with, he said. He said students should utilize SafeRide and Jaywalk if they had to walk alone on campus at night.
If the KU Public Safety Office isn't too bogged down, Bailey said, they'll even take someone to a car or home.
But there is still a chance of an attack even if all precautions are taken.
Bailey said there was no right or wrong way to handle an assault situation.
"I can't suggest what to do," he said. "Try to get out of the situation, make noise and bring attention to yourself."
Dan Ward, Lawrence Police sergeant said if people felt comfortable defending
themselves, they should. However, he said, in doing so, a person could further endanger themselves.
"We don't want to escalate personal injury," Ward said. "Anytime a person is a victim of a crime we suggest to pay attention to detail and call the police department."
Russell said students needed to know what to do after the assault had happened.
Students need to know where to go and what to do if they, or someone they know, are sexually assaulted.
The Gadugi Safe Center is such a place. And with a portion of the $17.50 per semester Student Senate activity fee going to the center, the services it offers are free.
The center offers post-attack counseling, education programs and social justice programs, which help students understand and work through potential legal processes, Smith said.
"The gift of giving is always giving back because we're always there," Smith said of the center, which has a 24-hour support line and staff readily available. "It's that kind of underpinning of support that makes this organization important to the community."
— Edited by Abby Tillery
STATE
Former Westar Energy Inc. employees ask for trial delay
TOPEKA — David Wittig and another former Westar Energy Inc. executive want a federal judge to postpone their criminal trial over allegations that they tried to loot the electric utility while in charge.
Wittig, of Topeka, and Douglas T. Lake, of New Canaan, Conn., the company's former executive vice president, each face 40 charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud and falsifying records. A federal grand jury indicted them in December but issued a new, revised indictment earlier this month.
Their trial is scheduled to start Sept. 7 in Kansas City, Kan., but both men have asked U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson to delay it.
A key issue for both defendants is Robinson's continuing refusal to allow Wittig and Lake to use payments from Westar to finance their defense. The two men are in arbitration with the company over how much it owes them under employment agreements in effect before they left Westar late in 2002.
Robinson has said she wanted to preserve assets that the government wanted to seize if the two men are convicted.
The Associated Press
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