There's been a report of a sexual assault on a Massachusetts college campus for the fifth time in a week.
The latest sexual assault allegedly happened at Framingham State University over the weekend, where authorities report the young woman who came forward said there was not just one, but two alleged assaults that happened, one at an off-campus residence on Saturday and then on Sunday morning in the room of an acquaintance on campus.
According to university police on campus, there are suspects in the case. The four alleged male perpetrators have been identified by the university and they have received interim suspensions; however, their identities and the exact locations of the assaults have not been released to the public.
This incident marks the fifth reported sexual assault in seven days, including incidents at Massassoit Community College in Brockton, Curry College, Worcester State University and an attack at Stonehill College.
The number and frequency of these sexual assaults at the beginning of the school year has many schools scrambling to take action and increase safety awareness.
Norman Bates, a campus security expert, said security is something everyone must be a part of, and said students can help protect themselves by walking in pairs, using a university escort service and avoiding certain problematic areas.
"There's all of the issues with alcohol consumption and excessive drinking, which makes any body exercise poor judgment, and I'm not blaming anybody at all, it's just a matter of doing things that will make you a little bit safer," Bates added.
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With a quarter of a million college students in the Greater Boston area, these assaults naturally have many campuses on edge.
