GVSU sends out fourth sexual assault notification

GVSU sends out fourth sexual assault notification

Hannah Lentz

Aug. 26:

At approximately 3:30 p.m. Saturday, August 27, the Grand Valley State University Police Department was contacted regarding a sexual assault complaint. The reported assault occurred Friday, August 26 at approximately 11:50 p.m. when the victim was walking near 48th Avenue and Lake Michigan Drive near Burger King. The victim was approached by a man who is described as being approximately 6’2″ with tan skin, dark hair and wearing basketball shorts and a backward baseball cap. The reported assault took place on the side of the roadway.

Aug. 27:

At 3 p.m. Sunday, August 28, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department was contacted when a victim reported a sexual assault that occurred off campus at 1:50 a.m. Saturday, August 27. The victim reported being in the parking lot of Campus View apartments on 42nd Avenue getting items from the back seat of a vehicle when an unknown man approached from behind. The victim reported that the subject then committed a sexual assault against the victim and left. No description of the suspect is available. The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the complaint.

Sept. 22:

At 9:40 a.m. Friday, September 23, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department received a report of sexual assault that took place off campus Saturday, September 22 at 48West apartments around 11 p.m. The victim reported walking between two buildings at the complex when two subjects, one white man and one black man, approached her. The white man was described as being about 6-feet tall with scruffy facial hair. The black man is described as being around 6’3″. No clothing description or other information was reported.

Sept. 27:

At approximately 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, an off-campus assault was reported to police by a third party. At the time of the report, limited details of the incident were available. The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department provided information to GVSU Wednesday, Sept. 28 that a 19-year-old victim was assaulted at 10 p.m. adjacent to campus, near the Trio Townhouses at 10507 48th Avenue. The suspect was described as a white man.

The campus Victim Advocate, Ashley Schulte, and leaders from student senate, Eyes Wide Open, and Greeks Against Sexual Assault are holding an activist-based town hall discussion about college sexual assault Thursday, Sept. 29 at 5:30 p.m. in Kirkhof Center Area 51 for an open conversation about safety, rape culture, and what students can do about it.

Anyone with information regarding these incidents should call the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department at (616) 738-4022 or Ottawa County Silent Observer at (877) 887-4536. If you see suspicious activity, call 911.

If you are a victim of sexual assault, seek assistance by calling police. Additional resources are available at www.gvsu.edu/vro or through the GVSU Women’s Center and Victim Advocate Ashley Schulte at (616) 331-2748.