In the following report, I intentionally left out about 3/4 of the article. Simply because the information has nothing to do with the false report, and once again, undermines the reporting of the false claim.
BLACKSBURG, Va., April 6, 2011 – Update: On Monday April 4, 2011 the Virginia Tech Police Department issued a Crime Alert to the Virginia Tech community, noting that a sexual assault had been reported during a concert in Burruss Hall on Sunday, April 3.
The alleged victim, while attending the concert, had been confronted by Virginia Tech Police officers regarding her apparent state of intoxication. While officers were removing the person from the concert, she reported that she had been sexually assaulted. Subsequent investigation determined that the report was false and that the alleged assault did not occur. The person who reported the assault has since stated that the report was false, and confirmed that she had not been assaulted.
Link: http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2011/04/040411-vtpd-crimealert.html
Another article that names her, and that allows lies and misinformation about the under-reporting of rape, and of course, that this will cause others to not report, with absolutely no proof to back that up:
The Virginia Tech Police Department arrested a female student following a falsified sexual assault claim.
Alexandra Edinger, a 21-year-old mechanical engineering major, was arrested Friday on a charge of providing false information or report, according to the crime log released by the department.
The report was made during the Wiz Khalifa concert in Burruss Hall on April 3.
The offense is a class one misdemeanor, which brings a maximum prison sentence of 12 months and a maximum fine of $2,500.
According to an April 6 e-mail from the department, Edinger was confronted by police officers because of her “apparent state of intoxication.”
As she was removed from the concert, she reported she had been sexually assaulted.
A following investigation determined no assault had occurred, and Edinger later admitted her report was false and that she had not been assaulted.
An e-mail Monday morning sent by the Collegiate Times to an address listed as belonging to Edinger was not returned. She was not otherwise available for comment.
Jennifer Underwood, an outreach coordinator at Tech’s Women’s Center, said the false report could mislead others on the validity of sexual assault claims.
“It plays into what a lot of people think about sexual assault already,” Underwood said. She also expressed concern that “future victims may be less likely to report (sexual assault).”
Underwood noted the high rate of underreporting in cases of sexual assault, estimating that 95 percent of cases are not reported to any local agency.
A 2005 National Institute of Justice and Department of Justice report showed approximately 35 out of every 1,000 female college students are victims of sexual assault.
With 12,138 female students, Tech could see as many as 425 sexual assault cases in a single school year.
Underwood said the Women’s Center has worked with 24 sexual assault victims since July 1, 2010.
“We’d hope the campus dialogue will focus on how we can get people who are sexually assaulted and aren’t telling anybody to get the help that they need,” Underwood said.
Link: http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/17355/student-charged-for-false-sexual-assault-report
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6 comments:
They don't have much time left for the other 401 rape cases to get reported by July 2011 to reach their 425 quota.
I mean -Hip Hip horray, sex assault cases are DOWN by 401 - from 425 to ONLY 24 since July last year!
Isn't THAT the big news?
Looks like the night has ALMOST been completely taken back!
The setup:
”Alexandra Edinger, a 21-year-old mechanical engineering major” a student at the school, made a false accusation of sexual assault to
”The Virginia Tech Police Department” - that colleges police dept.
”Edinger was confronted by police officers because of her “apparent state of intoxication.”
”The report was made during the Wiz Khalifa concert in Burruss Hall”
Because she was caught drunk on campus.
Yet, just over a week ago, this site highlighted the push from the US Dept Of Ed to not have woman charged for the criminal activities related to alcohol and/or drugs – so long as they also claim a sexual assault:
College Women Not Charged For Underage Drinking So Long As They Cry Rape Monday, April 25, 2011
So, really, how can we possibly blame this young woman? She was facing possible disciplinary action for public intoxication, but she had the “Get Out Of Anything” Card that had been issued to her (by virtue of her gender), now reinforced by USDOE directive, so all she had to do was to do as so many other women all down through history have done when facing consequence for their chosen actions – cry rape (or, as it has been expanded in “modern” times, any sort of sexual assault).
Twisted though it may be, this is all too logical of an action for women to take. They risk little (misdemeanor with no criminal history = community service), with the possible reward of getting away with whatever it is they were seeking hide by make the claim. As a college student, it is, today, a virtual certainty that the alcohol charges will be summarily dropped (with no consideration to the known fact that her sexual assault claim was false), and she might get a lesser “slap on the wrist” for making a false report. If the alcohol charges had stuck, she’d have likely faced a fine and mandatory alcohol awareness classes (at her own expense).
That’s a really good gamble for a college women to take.[/snark]
Picture of the perp here – 3rd one down.
H/T – one of the comments on the Collegiate Times article
Another “tip” from the comments on the article leads to this http://www.police.vt.edu/VTPD_v2.1/crime_stats/crime_logs/data/VT_2011-04_Crime_Log.pdf, the police log showing charges by date, location, and (in some cases) named perp.
Look on page two, third from the bottom:
”11-0316 04/03/2011 Sexual Assault Burruss Hall 04/03/2011 2100-2115 Unfounded”
Not only is her name NOT listed, but she WAS NOT charged for public intoxication – it’s right there in in print.
Now, on that same date, and same location (Burruss Hall), we can clearly see that two men are named as having been arrested for possession.
Looks like the “just say you were sexually assaulted” ploy did, in fact, get Alex Edinger out of alcohol related charges. The USDOEd would be proud.[/snark]
She wasn't under aged, if that matters.
She was 21.
Her name is plastered all over the internet for making a false rape allegation.
I don't consider her to have been so "lucky" here.
Anonymous - ”She wasn't under aged, if that matters.”
That wasn’t the issue – public intoxication was.
I posted a link to the VT Police crime log. Check pages 3-10 for numerous example so f men who were named and arrested for what is termed Appear Intoxicated in Public
Then note that Alex Edinger was not arrested for her public intoxication. She was later charged with false reporting, but had this story not gotten media attention, she would likely have skated-by with little more than a warning to not do it again. Those guys who were arrested for public intoxication will likely suffer greater legal penalties, and likely stiffer sanctions from the university as well.
Ironically Ms. Edinger even claims that alcohol was to blame for her making the false report, and in a perverse twist, the intoxication that she was not charge for will also likely be the reason why charges against her will be dropped, and her record cleared. As far as the University is concerned, it will be as if none of it ever happened – unlike those guys who were arrested and charged with public intoxication.
Fortunately, there will now be an internet record of her behavior to haunt her - unlike so many false accusers who’ve managed to walk away unnamed and unscathed, while their victims have had reputations, families, careers, and even lives ruined.
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