OMG:
From The Record: Waterloo regional police
have determined that a reported sex assault at the University of
Waterloo did not occur, police said Thursday.
Earlier this week, a female student told campus police she was sexually assaulted by two men between 10 and 10:30 p.m. Monday as she was walking on campus.
Police investigated and determined the woman’s allegations were not true, police said.
The force wants to remind the public that false allegations take a tremendous toll on police resources and making a false complaint is a criminal offence.
In this case, a charge of public mischief was not laid.
Earlier this week, a female student told campus police she was sexually assaulted by two men between 10 and 10:30 p.m. Monday as she was walking on campus.
Police investigated and determined the woman’s allegations were not true, police said.
The force wants to remind the public that false allegations take a tremendous toll on police resources and making a false complaint is a criminal offence.
In this case, a charge of public mischief was not laid.
Posted on
Thursday, September 20.
You can leave your response.
September 20, 2012 at 1:22 PM
It seems like she lied to police about sexual assault. I hope she gets punished.
Making sexual assault allegations is no laughing matter and any false claims abates the legitimate claims.
September 20, 2012 at 1:24 PM
This does not necessarily mean that nothing happened. It could simply mean that the girl didn't want to deal with the after effects and decided to pretend it was all a joke...
I hope this is not the case and that it was a ruse from the beginning, because this would mean that two sexual offenders will be let off without repercussions.
September 20, 2012 at 1:35 PM
Wow, this ought to be fined at the very least, making up sexual assault claims is serious business. She could have ruined somebody's life.
Lets not make excuses for this girl, nobody just withdraws allegations and "pretends it was all a joke" when the police are involved and investigating.
September 20, 2012 at 1:47 PM
I pity her friends who were genuinely concerned.
September 20, 2012 at 1:49 PM
Fuck that dumb bitch.
September 20, 2012 at 1:50 PM
Now if she actually gets raped no one will believe it.
September 20, 2012 at 2:15 PM
Though I don't believe the girl is "pretending it was all a joke", 2 is right, and we shouldn't be so quick to judge. Claims of sexual assault are actually withdrawn more often that you would think, which doesn't necessarily mean that absolutely nothing happened.
September 20, 2012 at 2:25 PM
It says that police determined that her allegations were not true.... that means she was not assaulted and it also means she made up a story.
She should be punished.
September 20, 2012 at 2:41 PM
@2, it says the police determined that the allegations weren't true, meaning the bitch lied.
September 20, 2012 at 2:55 PM
Now I kind of hope she gets sexually assaulted. Dumb bitch.
September 20, 2012 at 2:57 PM
^-- because UW campus police are master detectives.
Before anyone begins to criticize and insult this girl, realize that it is far from unheard of that rape victims withdraw real rape allegations. i only imagine the amount of attention she would be getting on campus after being identified.
September 20, 2012 at 3:10 PM
I agree with the above posters who say that there are more reasons to withdrawing the claim than just her lying in the first place. Fear, shame, other threats are all reasons she could have withdrew the claim. As to the whole "the police determined it to be false thing", you're an idiot if you think the police never make mistakes.
September 20, 2012 at 3:20 PM
@10 Even if she was in the wrong and made everything up that's a pretty terrible thing to wish on another person..
September 20, 2012 at 3:28 PM
I hope the suspects will press charges for slander. It'll clear their names for good and serve as a warning for others against false sexual assault accusations.
September 20, 2012 at 3:30 PM
^ what suspects? a short white male, and a tall non-white male? that would most of this school.
September 20, 2012 at 3:33 PM
This is highly suspect because no charges were laid. Someone could have paid her off or threaten her to withdraw the claim.
September 20, 2012 at 3:53 PM
Great, here come the conspiracy phaggots with their brilliant ideas:
1. The police statement makes it clear that she did not withdraw her accusation, the police proved it was false. The girl has no shame to speak of.
2. Police make mistakes? Of course they do, but you know that they checked and double-checked their results before making an announcement to the ENTIRE UNIVERSITY that the allegations were false. Cops don't do that unless they're pretty confident in their findings.
3. The girl was paid off? Pls go.
4. Please remember that this was a first year girl, prolly some highschool sloot who wanted attention or was trying to convince her BF that she didn't really cheat on him, she was assaulted!!!
lol come at me.
September 20, 2012 at 3:53 PM
@11, it was the Waterloo Regional Police that determined it was a false allegation. They made a statement about it:
"As a result of investigation by Major Case Branch investigators, it has been determined that the female´s initial allegations to police were not true. The sexual assault previously described at the University of Waterloo campus on September 17, 2012, did not occur. Investigators are appreciative of public assistance received during the investigation."
If the victim simply withdrew the charges, they would not state that the offense did not occur. Pretty clear that she lied.
September 20, 2012 at 4:52 PM
This, ladies and gentlemen, is where the "50% of women have been sexually assaulted" statistic comes from.
September 20, 2012 at 4:53 PM
When people do things like this, it demonizes men and makes people suspect the word of true victims. It harms women and men both.
September 20, 2012 at 5:51 PM
People in this thread are disgusting. We don't know the details of this situation, so we're in no position to pass any judgment. Furthermore, one falsified statement by a victim does not in any way make sexual assault any less serious and the victims of sexual assault any less sympathetic or credible.
September 20, 2012 at 6:12 PM
SO MANY FEMALE ARTS STUDENTS
MY SIDES CAN'T TAKE MUCH MORE OF THIS
September 20, 2012 at 6:46 PM
I hope for her sake it was really just a lie, as opposed to her trying to cover it up.
September 20, 2012 at 6:54 PM
I find it fishy as well...
Especially since she didn't accuse someone in specific. If she just wanted to get "revenge" on some guy, you'd think she'd go accuse that person of sexual assault. If she just wanted
"attention", then why did she keep her identity secret instead of blabbing to everyone that so and so raped her? It seems unusual that someone would make such a claim just because, and I wouldn't blindly accept something that strange without critically thinking about it. Unless they got solid evidence that the assault did not happen (e.g. footage of that night at the parking lot or evidence that she could not have been there at that time), I wouldn't be so certain that nothing happened.
Of course the police came to their conclusion for some reason, but it's not like they made it clear of what kind of "evidence" led to that conclusion.
September 20, 2012 at 7:02 PM
@24 Obviously it wasn't revenge. She got plenty of attention from the police and peers I'm sure, having the campus know her name would just cause a lot of trouble for her. Not unusual at all, doing bad things for "negative attention" is extremely commonplace, this is just another manifestation of it.
They said "as a result of investigation", making it very clear it wasn't just her taking it back.
September 20, 2012 at 7:25 PM
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the possibility of her trying to pass off consensual (perhaps drunken) sex as sexual assault.
September 20, 2012 at 7:30 PM
@25- And I said "Of course the police came to their conclusion for some reason, but it's not like they made it clear of what kind of "evidence" led to that conclusion." Police make mistakes too. They don't say how they came to their conclusion, so I'm not very convinced.
September 20, 2012 at 7:32 PM
OMG RAPE CULTURE.
I hope you know a lot of schools do their best to hide cases of sexual assault, and often times do not accurately punish offenders if found guilty. Campuses find it doesn't help their public image and often try to find ways to make it go away so it doesn't have to be in the public eye.
September 20, 2012 at 7:56 PM
@28 - Interesting point. I never even considered that. They could be biased to claim that the assault did not happen, since it was the UW police dealing with the case rather than the Waterloo Regional police.
September 20, 2012 at 8:49 PM
@29: but the post states..right in the beginning " Waterloo regional police have determined that a reported sex assault at the University of Waterloo did not occur"
September 20, 2012 at 8:56 PM
I wonder what effect this will have on future sexual assault allegations. The moral of the story is not to cry wolf.
September 20, 2012 at 9:21 PM
#17, and 18.
Withdrawing real rape allegations really is no conspiracy. It happens more often than you would think.
Most sexual assaults are not even brought forward to authorities because bringing it forward alone is a traumatizing experience.
Do you understand that police "proving it was a lie" is essentially as simple as the girl saying "I lied. It never happened." The police then follow up and ask if she is telling the truth about her lie, and a simple response from her is "yes, I was never raped." Case closed to make it easier for the rape victim.
September 20, 2012 at 9:21 PM
#17, and 18.
Withdrawing real rape allegations really is no conspiracy. It happens more often than you would think.
Most sexual assaults are not even brought forward to authorities because bringing it forward alone is a traumatizing experience.
Do you understand that police "proving it was a lie" is essentially as simple as the girl saying "I lied. It never happened." The police then follow up and ask if she is telling the truth about her lie, and a simple response from her is "yes, I was never raped." Case closed to make it easier for the rape victim.
September 20, 2012 at 9:23 PM
^ This also happens in other types of abuse too.
September 20, 2012 at 9:25 PM
@21: No, but is does make this particular would-be "victim" more suspect.
September 20, 2012 at 9:26 PM
@30 - Oops, misread.
September 20, 2012 at 9:33 PM
A lot of people are misimformed. A girl can't just withdraw her statement. It is up to the crown attorney to decide whether to lay criminal charges or not. The girl does not have such authority in a criminal case, she can only withdraw in civil cases.
If a crime is deemed to have occured, the police WILL investigate, whether or not the victim is cooperating. Then as a result, the crown will review the evidence and decide to lay charges or not. In this case, it is clear from the statement given that the initial sexual assault did not occur as first reported.
September 20, 2012 at 9:59 PM
^Exactly. That's why she can just adjust her story so it appears she lied. She could have educated herself on these laws via a google search. This would be the equivilant to withdrawing allegations albeit informally.
September 20, 2012 at 11:34 PM
The classic tale about the girl who cried rape...
September 21, 2012 at 5:52 AM
I am still trying to figure out how this has turned out to be some big cover up conspiracy.
The police - UW or Waterloo - don't have to provide the public with any evidence as proof.
There is obviously some sad reason why the victim chose to make a false report...that's another issue to be addressed.
Even if the assault occurred and she tried to pull her story, the police can proceed without her. It isn't in the public interest, especially in a residence environment, to let the badguys walk on this one.
Be thankful this really didn't happen and that the police stepped it up and got involved
September 21, 2012 at 9:43 AM
@38, its not that simple. Whenever serious crimes are reported, the police have to do a THOROUGH investigation, whether the victim cooperates or not. The reason is because the entire community could be in danger. They would not say the allegations were false if they weren't 100% sure of it. How they came to that conclusion, we will probably never know, but I can guarantee that it wasn't as simple as the girl changing her story.
September 21, 2012 at 11:47 AM
Why do people so desperately want to believe that the crime as occured and that the girl was victimized, but is being forced to withdraw her allegations due to social pressure?
It is CLEAR from the press release that the sexual assault did not occur as initially reported. The wording the force has used is the strongest it caan use, short of calling the girl a liar. Let's go through it 1. Investigated and determined allegations not true - says NOTHING about girl changing her story or police suspending investigation due to the girl's wishes. 2. Reminder about false allegations - CLEARLY implying that the girl has made a false allegation. 3. Charge not laid in this case - it was CONSIDERED, but deemed not necessary.
Work with the given facts people, not some wish to make a victim out of some girl.
September 21, 2012 at 12:00 PM
Maybe she blew something smaller out of proportion? A few cat calls, or an ass grab (not that its ok to ass grab). Then police etc took it to be rape but she meant assault more loosely?
September 21, 2012 at 12:46 PM
^ Sexual assault is not only "rape". Rape is not a term which is used in Canadian law.
September 21, 2012 at 12:55 PM
To all the people classifying it as rape, whether true or not, I highly doubt it was that serious. V1 West and MKV cul de sac, is probably the highest traffic area between the residences at that time. REV caf is closed and ppl from all residences are going there for food. Someone would have seen or heard.
September 21, 2012 at 6:26 PM
@42 - Why can't you consider more than one possibility? Do you understand that police are not always right?
I think what people are suggesting moreso is take a lesson from it: be careful when waling at night and do not put yourself in harms way, so you reduce the chances of someone hurting you. And two, drop it because no one here knows what actually happened. There is no point in calling her stupid, selfish, a maniac, etc...
September 21, 2012 at 7:43 PM
since when do the police have to be wrong on this one?
September 21, 2012 at 7:53 PM
@46: Why is your first assumption that the police are wrong? When you see on the TV a man being taken into custody by the police on a murder charge, do you immediately say "GOD WHY ARE THEY ARRESTING THIS INNOCENT MAN, HE DIDN'T EVEN DO IT. WHY DON'T PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THE POLICE AREN'T ALWAYS RIGHT?"
I bet if there were witnesses saying nothing happened, you'd just say there's no way of knowing they aren't lying.
September 21, 2012 at 8:05 PM
@46 Obviously the police aren't always right. But you need to realize that the police would not release a statement like that unless they were absolutely certain it did not occur. They obviously did a thorough investigation and came to that conclusion based on their findings.
Why do you so desperately want to believe that someone was violently assaulted and that 2 predators are on campus?
September 21, 2012 at 9:35 PM
If you weren't there you really have no right to formulate an opinion on the topic. The police were extremely strong in their wording and that should be enough. They would not have released something so soon if they had any inkling of doubt. Hiding a sexual assault has huge repercussions and I highly doubt that they would be willing to risk that.
September 21, 2012 at 10:16 PM
You know she can say it didn't happen, or if it were rape not consent to a rape kit, or any number of things.