Police are seeking a suspect in two attempted rapes last Wednesday at Victoria and St. Michael’s Colleges. The first attack was at Victoria’s Annesley Hall residence at 3 a.m., and the second at St. Michael’s Christie Mansion residence approximately 30 minutes later. The similarity in the cases leads police to believe a single suspect is responsible for both.

Neither victim suffered physical harm. In both cases, the victim’s cries for help scared the attacker off quickly. No detailed description of the suspect is available, since neither victim saw him clearly, although police press releases describe him as “male, short in stature with a slim to medium build.”

“We’re working with both colleges and extra patrols have been assigned to the area,” said Detective Constable Paul Worden of the Toronto Police Services Sex Crimes Unit. “Everyone’s been very helpful.”

The perpetrator in both cases gained entry to the female students’ rooms through windows. In the first case, the screen had been removed from the window that day; in the other, the suspect cut the screen to get inside.

“Sometimes students feel safe because their windows are above street level, but every window is a possible access point,” said Detective Worden. Both windows were located in difficult locations to access, which leads police to believe the attacker had some knowledge of the buildings.

“We believe we have a safe campus,” said University of Toronto Campus Police Manager Dan Hutt. “Those in residence are very safe in their own environment.” But, Hutt cautioned, “they are living in the downtown core of Canada’s largest city, so they have to take the same precautions as if they were living in an apartment off-campus.”

Students Administrative Council Equity Commissioner Mary Auxi-Guiao agreed. “Women need to protect themselves,” she said, adding, “It’s just really important that we create the proper system for victims of sexual assault…We hope we can work with all the colleges to make women feel safe on campus.”

Part of that process involves the Ask First campaign, which Auxi-Guiao hopes will raise awareness of sexual assault issues at the University of Toronto. “Sexual assault is a reality on this campus,” she said. “We need to have a dialogue and equip students so they have all the information they need to make good choices.”

Ask First is aimed at reducing “date rape” (when victims know their assailant).

Photograph by Simon Turnbull