University of Chicago officials said Tuesday they identified a person of interest in the alleged weekend sexual assault of a 21-year-old woman and banned that person from campus. Chicago police are still investigating the case, and a department spokesperson said no one was in custody.
The university said the identification was supported by key witness statements and video evidence from university cameras and license plate readers. Officials also said the evidence was shared with Chicago police by the Department of Safety & Security.
Alpha Epsilon Pi house
The report places the allegation at the Alpha Epsilon Pi house at 5625 S. University Ave. in Hyde Park. A 21-year-old woman told authorities she was attending a party there around 1:50 a.m. Sunday when she was sexually assaulted by a man she did not know.
Eyewitnesses described the suspect as a 5-foot-7 South Asian man with a dark complexion, short hair on the sides and longer curly hair on top. An initial review of surveillance cameras showed a person fitting that description running from the frat house.
Witness statements and video
The woman was not fully conscious when she was found inside the bathroom, and both she and the suspect were partially undressed. A group of as many as five men was reported to be cheering and appearing to encourage the activity inside the bathroom, and they tried to block two of the woman’s friends from entering.
The University of Chicago chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi said Monday that its members were deeply disturbed by the sexual assault and that the party was shut down after the assault. The chapter said it was working alongside authorities to provide additional details to the Chicago Police Department.
Chicago police investigation
Chicago police are conducting the criminal investigation, while university officials said the school will separately examine possible policy violations and disciplinary actions. A spokesperson for Alpha Epsilon Pi’s headquarters said the group is cooperating and that the chapter had been told not to hold any events or programs during the investigation.
The immediate question now is whether the person of interest will be arrested or charged. The university has already taken the campus step it can take on its own, but the criminal case remains with Chicago police.
