UWI students fear for safety

UPDATE:

The attempted rape, robbery and assault of a second-year female student at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine on Tuesday afternoon has prompted the Students’ Guild to hold an emergency meeting for students to voice their grievances not only on security, but other ills affecting them.

On Tuesday at around 1 pm the student was in the female locker room on campus when she was allegedly attacked by a man who robbed her and then tried to sexually assault her. She was able to overpower him and escaped.

She reported the attack to campus security and a search was carried out for the man. The Student’s Guild was also alerted and the student was expected to receive counselling.
Checks with the Tunapuna police revealed that no report of the incident was made by the student.

Yesterday female students expressed fear for their safety and said the time had come for the university to re-evaluate security arrangements. A proposal to introduce an app so that students could activate a distress call signal on their phone directly to the security department on campus is now being considered.

Yesterday PRO of the Students’ Guild Devon Harris said the meeting, scheduled for 1-4 pm, is expected to attract students concerned over their safety.
Harris said depending on the outcome of this “town hall” meeting, “We will take the necessary steps. Whatever students suggest, we will abide by it. What we mostly want the university to do is to be more proactive as opposed to being reactive. Prior to this we have had meetings with the administration but nothing has been done.

“Students are ready to take a stand that is student-centred.”

Newsday understands that there have been at least six incidents over the past four weeks in which students reported to campus security that they had been robbed.

Yesterday aggrieved students said there is need for more functional security cameras, well lit areas, greater consistency in the protocols and operations of security guards and more frequent patrols.

Students also said since the previous six incidents the university administration is yet to release a statement that acknowledges these breaches in campus security as a problem or concern.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The attempted rape, robbery and assault of a second-year female student at the University of the West Indies on Tuesday afternoon has prompted the Students’ Guild to hold an emergency meeting so that students could voice their grievances not only on security matters, but other ills affecting them.

On Tuesday at around 1 pm the student was in the female locker room on campus when she was allegedly attacked by a man who robbed her and then tried to sexually assault her.

She student was able to overpower him and escaped.

She reported the attack to campus security and a search was carried out for the man. The Students Guild was also alerted and the student was expected to receive counselling.

Checks with the Tunapuna police revealed the student did not report the incident to them.