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Why did it take Burlington police 6 days to report an attempted sexual assault near UVM?

Umito November 13, 2024

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – University of Vermont police are investigating a recent attempted sexual assault downtown, as well as a separate but possibly related incident involving a man acting suspiciously on campus . The case raised questions about how Burlington police responded to the initial call.

News of recent suspicious incidents on or near the UVM campus has students on alert.

“It’s definitely a bit worrying, especially as a woman. I moved my shopping to earlier in the evening,” said UVM sophomore Tovsah Williams.

“We got these CAT alerts, like we got this image of this guy, try and ask us to identify them if we can. I haven’t seen him around,” UVM freshman Vaughn Wilde said.

The first incident occurred around 1 a.m. on November 2. Burlington police said a woman was walking near the intersection of Maple and South Prospect streets when she was tackled into some bushes and the suspect tried to tear off her clothes. They say bystanders pulled him away and he ran away.

Although Burlington police responded immediately, they did not report the attempted sexual assault near the UVM campus to UVM police until Friday, six days later. UVM police then made this known to the public.

“I just know when we found out about it. I think there could be more of an effort toward a quicker response,” Williams said.

While it’s unclear who was involved, UVM police say once informed, they issued a campus-wide alert and took over the investigation. They also quickly reported a second incident, a suspicious man seen on campus.. They say they briefly detained him on Sunday but he fled. It is not known if this is the same man as in the first incident. The police want you to call them immediately if you see this man and are telling you not to approach him. They also want to hear from anyone who can identify him. Call UVM Police at 802-656-3473.

Police are asking for the public's help in identifying a suspicious man seen on the UVM campus... — Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspicious man seen on the UVM campus after an attack last week.(Courtesy of UVM Police)

After a request for comment last week, Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said Tuesday that the report was a simple assault and that the possible sexual element was unconfirmed. He claims that the police were never able to communicate with the alleged victim. Murad added that this is now a UVM case and BPD is not helping.

UVM police declined to comment on the six-day lag in reporting the incident.

Click here for resources on sexual assault awareness.