Police find ‘no evidence’ of rape in UGA student investigation
After a police report fueled speculation that a University of Georgia student was sexually assaulted near the campus, investigators announced Friday “there is no evidence to support that a rape occurred.”
Last weekend, the unidentified student told police that after drinking with friends in downtown Athens, she’d woken up on cardboard boxes near a homeless man who was touching himself.
While she could not recall any sexual acts taking place, she reported her black skirt was inside out when she woke. Missing her purse and phone, she told police she was escorted home by “two kind older homeless men” around sunrise.
It was not clear from the report if she sought or received medical attention.
Athens-Clarke County police investigated the incident as a potential sexual assault before announcing their conclusion Friday. Police told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution there is no indication the student made false reports.
On Tuesday, police said they’d arrested one man for using the student’s bank cards. A second suspect was later arrested in connection with the same crime, according to Friday’s media release.
Shortly after the original police report, State Rep. Houston Gaines, R-Athens, connected the incident to homelessness. In a social media post, he called the possible sexual assault “unacceptable.”
“For too long, Athens-Clarke County has allowed homelessness, encampments, and other serious problems in our public spaces to grow while refusing to take meaningful action,” Gaines wrote.
On Wednesday, he wrote that the case highlighted “rampant homelessness in Athens” and that it “exposes a criminal justice system that has become a revolving door for repeat offenders.”
Gaines has not posted about the incident since police reached their conclusion Friday.
“The Athens-Clarke County Police Department takes all reports of sexual assault seriously and appreciates the cooperation of those involved throughout the investigation,” police wrote Friday.