WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — According to recently filed court documents, a Massachusetts school is alleging that a student who was raped overseas is partially responsible because she was drinking that night and chose to follow a stranger onto a dark rooftop.
The Boston Globe reports (https://bit.ly/25JPPnw ) Worcester Polytechnic Institute made the arguments in response to a civil suit filed last year in which the victim alleges that the college failed to provide a safe environment for students.
The woman was assaulted by a security guard in April 2012 at a university-leased apartment building in Puerto Rico, where she was completing a research project.
The school’s attorneys argue the victim engaged in risky behavior including excessive drinking and disregarded training about how to protect herself from harm.
The woman’s lawyers say the school’s argument is an attempt to harass and intimidate her.
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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.bostonglobe.com