Michigan Sex Crime Attorneys Blog
Recently, three University of Michigan students have reported to police that each was sexually assaulted by a 31-year-old Ann Arbor man during parties hosted at his apartment. The alleged assaults took place in September and on February 15 of this year, according to news reports at AnnArbor.com.
The suspect, who is reported to be an Asian man looking younger than his age, is said to be about 140 pounds, 5’6″ to 5’7″ in height with brown eyes and black hair. Neither the suspect or the alleged victims’ names were revealed in news reports.
All three women are U-M students and said to be over the age of 18. One of the assaults allegedly occurred on February 15; the other two date back to September of 2012. Diane Brown, U-M police spokeswoman, stated that one of the September incidents was not reported to police until the latest assault was reported, but that she did report it to university officials at the time.
Police continue to investigate the sexual assault allegations according to Lt. Robert Pfannes of the Ann Arbor Police Dept. All three assaults were said to have taken place at the Zaragon Place Apartments where the suspect lives, located on East University Avenue. All three alleged victims report having drank alcohol at the man’s apartment, and afterward being assaulted. Two of the victims said that they woke up in the midst of the assaults after passing out.
The first victim did not want to file a police report, but told a university official about the alleged assault in mid-October. The official then reported the incident to police. The second victim did not report the sexual assault to either police or university officials, although news reports state that investigators were informed of the incident. The third victim notified university officials, and staff worked with her to help her understand her options; she then filed a report with the police department. At this time, a crime alert was issued.
While Michigan sex crime attorneys understand that sometimes victims do not want to come forward out of embarrassment or even fear, there are also times that innocent people are falsely accused of crimes they did not commit. When sexual relations take place under the influence of alcohol, it is often difficult to determine whether they were forced or consensual.
If you have been accused of sexual assault, do not hesitate to contact a skilled Michigan sex crimes lawyer who will work vigorously to protect you from harsh criminal penalties.