Dear members of the Clemson University campus community:
In the early morning of Sept. 11, Clemson University Police Department issued a CU Safe Alert message regarding the apparent abduction and sexual assault of a female student on or near campus that reportedly occurred on the evening of Sept. 10. An Inside Clemson message with further information was sent later in the day on Sept. 11.
After a thorough investigation of the reported incident by CUPD, with the assistance of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, it has now been determined that the reported incident did not occur – a fact that the alleged victim has confirmed to CUPD.
Clemson University takes all reports of sexual assault and violence against students, faculty, staff and visitors extremely seriously, and CUPD dedicated significant resources to fully investigating this report as quickly as possible.
“Our investigation revealed that this incident did not occur as reported, so we felt it was important to share that information with the campus community in order to alleviate any fear and anxiety the report may have caused,” said CUPD Chief Eric Hendricks. “Ultimately, we are thankful that no one was harmed in this incident.”
Members of the campus community are encouraged to remain vigilant with regards to their personal safety and that of their friends and colleagues, and to continue to report instances of sexual misconduct to CUPD or other responsible parties so the appropriate support can be provided to victims in these situations.