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Stanford worker raped in campus basement, university says

By KTVU Staff
Published  October 10, 2022 11:56am PDT
Crime Files with Henry Lee
KTVU FOX 2

Safety concerns at Stanford: University says worker dragged into basement and raped

Safety and security concerns are top of mind at Stanford University after a reported rape last week. Police say a woman working in her office was dragged into the basement and raped by a man Friday afternoon.

A woman working in her office at Stanford University said she was dragged into the basement of a building and raped on Friday afternoon, authorities said. 

Authorities did not identify where on campus the alleged sexual assault took place, but the victim said it occurred at 12:30 p.m.

The department of public safety is investigating. There is no information about the alleged attacker, however, other than that he is "an adult male," according to a statement from Stanford.

"The victim does not want to provide a statement to law enforcement about the crime at this time," Stanford said. 

The university asked potential witnesses to share information. 

In August, a woman said she was pulled from a parking lot and raped on campus near Wilbur Hall. In that case, the victim did not provide a statement to the public safety department either. 

Stanford said that it may be frustrating for the public because there are few known details in these cases. 

"There are a variety of reasons why a victim may not disclose information about a crime. Many victims need time to process what occurred; for some, the trauma of a crime impacts their ability to recall information," a letter posted Saturday said. "Our fervent, continuing goal is to provide care and support for survivors of sexual violence at Stanford, to hold perpetrators of sexual violence accountable, and to ensure a safe campus community that is free of violence."

Students say they'll be making some changes for their own safety.

"I have a pretty far class and I don't have a bike, so I have been walking in the dark by myself," said Stephanie Boczek, a first year. "I did that twice, and I'm definitely going to stop doing that."

Meena Chakraborty, a graduate student, said, "I do wish they were talking about how they were addressing building security and making sure this doesn't happen again. That would be nice."