Another Gasparilla Rape

Is there anyone in Tampa not mishandling the Gasparilla rape incidents?

University of Tampa officials say they should have informed the student newspaper earlier of a rape on campus after the Gasparilla parade, but the assault didn't merit extreme precautions or alerting all students.

"The question at first was: Is it date rape? We don't go into a security alert for a date rape," UT spokesman Grant Donaldson said Saturday. "That's not called for."

Though some students expressed outrage that school officials didn't notify them immediately, others suggested that the victim brought trouble on herself by drinking too much, leaving her friends and allowing a stranger into her room.

The man escorted a UT student to her dorm. He then proceeded to sexually assault her. He ran when a witness saw the crime taking place. The St. Petersburg Times reports that the crime was not put on an incident log until much later.

UT spokesman Grant Donaldson's rationale for not infoming students or the newspaper is blame the victim.

"This was a situation where the student had met this guy and invited him in that building. We wouldn't have immediately informed the students of a situation like that," he said. "But we should have informed the weekly newspaper."

Whether or not she let the man into her dorm doesn't mean that he may not attempt to rape again. Did it ever occur to UT that putting a description of the man in the newspaper might lead to his capture?

Two Gasparilla rapes that were not taken seriously by people in power. These cases say much about the community that has been left unsaid. Tampa and Hillsborough County is run by officials who place greater importance on building Raymond James Stadium and Riverwalk community that than building a community that best serves the needs of it's citizens. Tampa wants to be "America's next great city." Local power brokers don't understand that pork projects have nothing to do with that. Running a community with a good standard of living, schools, first responders and growth management are what will make people stay. Banning gay pride events and losing court battles with strip clubs are a greater priority to the power brokers. Where are the family values when women get raped? It doesn't get police promotions, votes or campaign contributions to solutions for the pee on people. In their minds, an unneeded $40 million sports park is the answer.

Update: The rape occurred January 24, 2007. The University of Tampa didn't notify the student newpaper The Minaret until February 16th. It has been medically confirmed that penetration took place.

While TPD is investigating the crime as a sexual battery, which includes rape, Dean of Students Bob Ruday said he did not believe the university recognizes the event as rape because the student "freely allowed" the man to come up to her room.

Students are not happy that the university waited so long to inform them that a rape occurred on-campus. The student has left school.