What to Know
- Four female Villanova University students reported they had been sexually assaulted by a male student in Villanova University residence halls.
- A spokesperson for the school said they immediately launched an investigation and the male student is no longer on campus.
- In a separate report, a female student, who did not identify herself, said she was sexually assaulted by a man who she knows. The school has not yet confirmed whether that man is a Villanova student.
An investigation is underway after a Villanova University student was accused of sexually assaulting four female students on campus.
On Monday, the four women reported they had been sexually assaulted by a male student in Villanova University residence halls. The allegations range from touching without consent to rape.
A spokesperson for the school said they immediately launched an investigation and the male student is no longer on campus. Police, the Delaware County District Attorney's Office and Villanova University have not revealed whether or not that man was officially arrested or in custody.
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The school is also investigating a separate report that may or may not be related.
On Feb. 28, the Bryn Mawr Hospital Emergency Department notified Villanova’s Public Safety that a female student, who did not identify herself, said she was sexually assaulted by a man who she knows.
The school said they have not yet received that man’s identity however and it’s unknown whether or not that man is a student. That incident occurred on campus between Feb. 26 and Feb. 28, according to Villanova.
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A safety alert on the reported incidents was sent to students. The alert included numbers for students to call to report a sexual assault or sexual misconduct (610-519-5800 for Public Safety and 610-519-8805 for Title IX Coordinator Ms. Ryan Rost) as well as the University's sexual assault resource website.
"I hope this starts a campus-wide discussion about sexual assault and resources for survivors and just a safer place for women on this campus," Juliana Cosenza, a senior at Villanova, told NBC10. "It doesn't make me feel good honestly."
Villanova University is a private Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and the oldest Catholic university in the state.
