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

Harry 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.

Recent suspicious incidents on or near the UVM campus have alarmed students.

“It’s definitely a little worrying, especially as a woman. I moved my runs to the early evening,” said UVM sophomore Tovsah Williams

“We got the CAT alerts just as we got the image of this guy, they want us to identify them if we can. I haven’t seen him around,” UVM freshman Vaughn Wilde said.

The first incident occurred around 01:00 on the morning of November 2. Burlington Police say a woman was walking near the intersection of Maple and South Prospect Streets when she ran into bushes and the suspect tried to tear her clothes. They say bystanders pushed 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 later released information to the public.

“I just know when we were notified of this. “I think more efforts could have been made to provide a more timely response,” Williams said.

Although it is unclear who was involved, UVM Police said they took over the investigation by issuing a campus-wide alert after becoming aware of the situation. They also reported a second incident a short time later in which a suspicious man was seen on campus.. They said they briefly detained him on Sunday but he escaped. It is not yet known whether this person is the same person as in the first incident. When you see this man, the police want you to call him immediately and tell him 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 following an attack last week.(Courtesy: UVM Police)

After a request for comment last week, Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said Tuesday that the report came as a simple assault and that the possible sexual element was not confirmed. He said officers were never able to make contact 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 delay in reporting the incident.

Click here for resources on sexual assault awareness.