District Attorney Responds to UMass Amherst Sexual Assault Allegations After Protests Outside the Fellowship – CBS Boston

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AMHERST (CBS) – The North West District Attorney’s Office examined allegations of sexual assault at UMass Amherst on Wednesday following a weekend protest at a fraternity.

A crowd of around 300 people demonstrated in front of the Theta Chi fraternity house on Sunday. Police were called when some threw objects at the house. The alleged sexual assault happened on Saturday night at a party.

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“It is the practice of the North West District Attorney’s Office not to confirm or deny investigations into suspected criminal cases,” District Attorney David E. Sullivan’s office said in a statement. “However, it cannot be overstated how seriously the Northwest District Attorney’s Office takes sexual assault allegations and how vigorously it investigates and prosecutes these cases.”

According to The Daily Collegian, the anonymous allegations surfaced on social media platforms. UMass said in an email to the students on Monday that the university cannot take action against the alleged perpetrator or the fraternity because no survivors or witnesses have come forward to file a complaint, according to the student newspaper.

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Sullivan said that although sexual assault investigations typically begin at the local police or campus police level, victims can report cases directly to the prosecutor by meeting with specially trained prosecutors or lawyers.

“The last thing in the world we want is for victims of sexual assault to feel that they have no safe place to go for recourse,” Sullivan said in a statement. “Prosecutors and Victim Witness Advocates in our office have received extensive training to help all of us better understand and respond to the unique needs of sexual assault survivors. We are deeply committed to taking a trauma-informed approach and ensuring that victims are heard throughout the process. “

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The DA office can be reached at 413-586-9225.

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