U of I tries for 'clearer' sex assault reporting

By Lee Rood

"...U of I officials are under a mandate to draft a new policy to better deal with those kinds of cases, and charged with having a new model ready before the end of the year. In doing so, they must strike a balance between better protecting victims' needs, defending the due process rights of those accused, and providing swift, meaningful sanctions when sexual assaults do occur..."

"Under the new policy being drafted for the U of I, any future victims of sexual assaults will have access to an advocate on campus to guide them through the reporting process, and help them if they report the incident to police."

"University officials are bound by the new and existing policies to take action to protect the safety of the victim and other students when appropriate. Unlike past years, however, victims will meet with a trained advocate familiar with both the new university policies and criminal justice procedures..."

Full article available at http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20081204/NEWS10/812040364/1001/...