No Alert Sent After Attack on University of Delaware Grad Student Jogging Off Campus

The University of Delaware explained Wednesday why it didn't send an alert to students after a grad student was attacked while jogging in a park near campus.

A man grabbed the unidentified student as she ran through Rittenhouse Park in Newark around 8 a.m. Tuesday, said Newark Police. The park lies across Christina Parkway from the southern part of campus that includes the university's stadiums.

Luckily, the woman was able to get away and contact police who, within hours, released a description of the attacker to the media and on the department's Facebook page.

But, the university never alerted students of the attack since it occurred off-campus in a park that, while close to part of campus isn't connected to the heart of UDel in downtown Newark that is "widely live in and used by students," said spokeswoman Donna O'Brien.

The park doesn't fall under the jurisdiction of campus public safety but rather city police, she said.

"The University of Delaware Police and the City of Newark Police do partner very closely to ensure a safe and secure campus," said O'Brien. "We have a number of systems in place to protect the UD community."

Some of the safety measures in place at UDel include the "Safe UD" program, a campus escort service, blue light phones across campus and the "LiveSafe App" that links students directly with police, said O'Brien.