Assault claim retracted
Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) are withdrawing the sexual assault accusation from last Monday night, which occurred on the University of Waterloo’s campus, stating that “the female’s initial allegations to the police were not true.”
On Sept. 18, University of Waterloo campus police released a statement announcing that a “serious” assault had occurred the previous night on the university campus.
The female student was allegedly “seriously assaulted by two males” who evidently fled the scene afterwards.
The next day, another statement was released, indicating that this assault had indeed been sexual. The UW police website provided a description of the two suspects’ features, along with additional information about the investigation, including a paragraph that addressed the concerns for safety of students on campus and precautions that one should take.
However, following an investigation by “Major Case Branch investigators,” it was determined that the sexual assault did not, in fact, transpire.
In a statement released Thursday, Sept. 20, the WRPS addressed the untruthful allegations previously mentioned by the female student and came to the conclusion that “the sexual assault previously described at the University of Waterloo campus on Sept. 17, 2012, did not occur.”
No charges had been laid and the investigators “are appreciative of public assistance received during the investigation.”
The WRPS were unable to comment on this investigation, but the UW police website does stress the importance of safety during night hours, on and off campus.
While it is unclear whether the female had any motive behind the initial allegations, police say it is important to note that sexual assault accusations are a serious matter and should not be reported for any other reason than the truth.
Students from both Wilfrid Laurier and UW can find information on how to remain safe on campus on both schools’ websites.
“The University of Waterloo remains committed to ensuring the safety of all members of our campus community,” said the statement.
