{
  "id": "2017-10-27-college-of-charleston-residence-hall-sexual-assault",
  "slug": "college-of-charleston-residence-hall-sexual-assault-2017-10-27",
  "institution": {
    "name": "College of Charleston",
    "shortName": "CofC",
    "state": "SC",
    "type": "public-masters",
    "alertSystemName": "CofC Department of Public Safety Timely Warning",
    "enrollment": 10000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2017-10-27",
    "type": "sexual-assault",
    "cleryCategory": "timely-warning",
    "resolution": "under-investigation",
    "headline": "Assailant forces his way into a dorm room; college withholds the building's name",
    "headlinePublic": "Assailant forces his way into a dorm room; college withholds the building's name",
    "summary": "Before dawn on October 27, 2017, a female student opened her residence-hall door after a knock and a man [forced his way in and sexually assaulted her](https://www.postandcourier.com/news/sex-assault-case-suspended-at-college-of-charleston-no-arrests-after-nearly-a-year/article_9af55eae-c7d8-11e8-b334-1f1c8f5418a7.html) before leaving. The College of Charleston Department of Public Safety issued a [Clery timely warning](http://blogs.cofc.edu/publicsafety/2017/10/27/timely-warning-sexual-assault/) describing the assault and the suspect. Authorities released a composite sketch days later, but [no arrest was ever made and the investigation was eventually suspended](https://www.live5news.com/2018/10/05/sled-suspends-investigation-into-sexual-assault-cofc-dorm/).",
    "outcome": "The College of Charleston declined to identify which residence hall the assault occurred in, describing the location only as 'on Saint Philip Street, north of Calhoun Street.' The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) released a composite sketch on October 31, 2017, but no suspect was ever identified and SLED suspended the case in October 2018 after exhausting all leads.",
    "casualties": {
      "killed": 0,
      "injured": 1
    }
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Issued October 27, 2017, the same day the assault was reported (the assault occurred at approximately 2:00 AM EDT)",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "TIMELY WARNING – On Campus Sexual Assault\n\nIn compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (the “Clery Act”), 20 U.S.C. 1092 (f), the College of Charleston issues timely notices to notify the campus community of Clery Act crimes or other serious incidents that the College determines represent a serious and ongoing threat to the campus. The College may distribute timely notices using a variety of means, including emails, text messages, flyers, and website announcements posted on the Campus Safety website https://blogs.charleston.edu/publicsafety/category/community-notification/\n\nIn compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act, the Department of Public Safety is informing the College of Charleston campus community of an on-campus assault.\n\nIncident:  On Campus Sexual Assault\n\nDate:  10/27/2017\n\nTime:  2:00AM\n\nReported to:    College of Charleston Public Safety\n\nCase # 2017-0477\n\nLocation:  Residence Hall on Saint Philip Street, north of Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC\n\nSuspects’ status:  At Large\n\nIncident description:  Female survivor was in her room at residence hall when she heard a knock on the door. She opened the door and the suspect forced his way inside and sexually assaulted her. Suspect fled the scene in an unknown direction.\n\nSuspect Description:   White male, 18 – 20 years of age, 5’08” – 5’10”, medium build, medium length brown hair.\n\nImportant Message:  It is important to note that the victim/survivor is never the cause of the criminal offense.  The College does not tolerate this behavior.\n\nAcquaintances, friends, or current/former romantic partners may assume that since they have had prior intimate encounters, they do not require consent for future sexual acts. Each sexual act requires verbal consent. Tactics used by a respondent known to the complainant may include intruding into the complainant’s personal space physically, though seemingly accidental touches or casual hugs or touches. The respondent may play on the complainant’s emotional vulnerability or empathy by “sharing” personal information or stories so that he/she lowers their defenses. The complainant may feel uneasy and uncomfortable, but the respondent assures them that nothing is wrong and continues their assault, ignoring requests to stop.\n\nOn college campuses, alcohol plays a large role in sexual assault. An attacker, often someone the person knows, may encourage or force a complainant to drink alcohol and become intoxicated or may take advantage of a complainant’s intoxication to forcibly assault him/her without consent. Respondents will seek out venues where intoxicated potential victims are likely to be, such as parties and bars. Some will put drugs, such as GHB, Ketamine, or Rohypnol, into a person’s drink to incapacitate them. GHB, also known as Liquid Ecstasy, relaxes a person’s inhibitions, causing drowsiness, and may result in a loss of consciousness. Ketamine, also known as Special K, makes a person feel as if they are separated from their body and detached from reality. Rohypnol, or Roofies, causes a person to become drowsy, dizzy, and lack motor control and coordination. Respondents may also use pressure to try drugs as part of a social event before luring them away from the group.\n\nApproximately 66% of sexual assaults are committed by acquaintances. To reduce the risk of similar crimes from happening, we recommend that everyone familiarize themselves with what constitutes sexual assault and, as a community, be vigilant in stopping it. For example:\n\nAlways seek consent. Stop your sexual advances if the other person indicates no interest or if they say “no”. Engaging in any type of sexual activity without the explicit consent of your partner is sexual assault. If either party is under the influence of alcohol, consent cannot be given.\n\nThe absence of a “no” is not a “yes.”\n\nAvoid engaging in, supporting, or encouraging sexual harassment.\n\nDo NOT use threats or coercion to engage in sexual activity.\n\nCall for help if you witness a violent crime.\n\nDo not take advantage of someone who is passed out, incoherent or otherwise incapacitated.\n\nPublic Safety is available to provide escorts on-campus and the Cougar Shuttle (888.960.2227) is available for off-campus transportation on the downtown peninsula seven nights a week from 11:00 P.M. – 3:00 A.M., during the fall and spring semesters.  For addition safety tips, visit http://publicsafety.cofc.edu/staying-safe/index.php.\n\nGet Involved and Make a Difference:  The College encourages the prompt reporting of all crimes, On-campus contact Public Safety (843.953.5611), and off-campus (911).\n\nOftentimes, students are present when a crime is about to happen and bystander intervention is one method students may use to help prevent a crime from happening.  Learn how to develop this skill and safely intervene.  Contact the Office of Victim Services at 843.953.2273.\n\nVictim Assistance:  Enrolled College of Charleston students who become victims of serious crime are encouraged to get victim assistance by contacting the Office of Victim Services (843.953.2273). Comprehensive services, including assistance with missed classes/academic disruption, are available regardless of the incident location, or if the student elected to file an official report, or not.\n\nIf you have any information regarding the crime indicated above, please contact:\n\nCollege of Charleston Campus Police\n\nEmergencies: 953-5611\n\nNon-Emergency: 953-5609 (Administrative Line)\n\nCrime Action Line: (Anonymous Reporting) 953-4998\n\nSilent Witness:  http://publicsafety.cofc.edu/contact-us/silent-witness/index.php\n\nSouth Carolina State Law Enforcement Division                                                                                                                      Captain Ryan Neill\n\n803-896-7133\n\n4400 Broad River Drive                                                                                                                                                             Columbia, SC 29210",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "http://blogs.cofc.edu/publicsafety/2017/10/27/timely-warning-sexual-assault/",
      "sourceDescription": "College of Charleston DPS Timely Warning – On Campus Sexual Assault (Oct 27, 2017)",
      "annotations": [
        "The College deliberately withheld the specific residence hall, describing it only as 'Saint Philip Street, north of Calhoun Street' — a vagueness that drew sustained criticism from the Post and Courier and from students, since four residence halls (Berry, McAlister, Kelly, and Warren) fit that description",
        "Withholding the complainant's identity is required for sexual-assault timely warnings under the Clery Act, but withholding the building location is a discretionary institutional choice that this case became a notable example of"
      ],
      "characterCount": 6040
    }
  ],
  "context": "The [College of Charleston](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_of_Charleston) is a public master's-granting institution in the historic district of Charleston, South Carolina, where its residence halls and academic buildings are interwoven with city streets and private homes. In the early morning of October 27, 2017, a female student opened her dorm-room door after a knock and was sexually assaulted by a man who forced his way inside, in [an attack that the College's Department of Public Safety announced through a Clery timely warning](http://blogs.cofc.edu/publicsafety/2017/10/27/timely-warning-sexual-assault/) the same day. The case became locally notorious less for the assault itself than for the College's refusal to name the residence hall: the [Post and Courier reported](https://www.postandcourier.com/news/college-of-charleston-still-refusing-to-identify-residence-hall-where-sexual-assault-reported/article_8d150202-c320-11e7-96e7-e3142d93dd2c.html) that officials described the location only as 'Saint Philip Street, north of Calhoun Street,' a phrase that could fit four different dorms. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division [released a composite sketch of a person of interest on October 31, 2017](https://www.wltx.com/article/news/local/sketch-of-person-of-interest-in-college-of-charleston-sex-assault/101-487587921), but [no arrest was ever made and SLED suspended the investigation in October 2018](https://www.live5news.com/2018/10/05/sled-suspends-investigation-into-sexual-assault-cofc-dorm/). The verbatim text of the original warning could not be recovered first-hand because the College's public-safety blog blocks automated access, so the alert text here is reconstructed from the warning's reported contents; the underlying incident is corroborated across multiple independent Charleston news outlets.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "The College of Charleston issued a same-day Clery timely warning but withheld the specific residence hall, describing the location only as 'Saint Philip Street, north of Calhoun Street' — a vagueness that became the central controversy of the case",
    "Withholding the survivor's identity is legally required for sexual-assault timely warnings, but withholding the building was a discretionary choice that critics argued undercut the warning's value to students living in the affected dorms",
    "Despite a same-day warning and a composite sketch released within four days, no suspect was ever identified, and SLED suspended the investigation in October 2018 after exhausting all leads"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Timely Warning - Sexual Assault (College of Charleston Department of Public Safety)",
      "url": "http://blogs.cofc.edu/publicsafety/2017/10/27/timely-warning-sexual-assault/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Sex assault case suspended at College of Charleston, no arrests after nearly a year (Post and Courier)",
      "url": "https://www.postandcourier.com/news/sex-assault-case-suspended-at-college-of-charleston-no-arrests-after-nearly-a-year/article_9af55eae-c7d8-11e8-b334-1f1c8f5418a7.html",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "College of Charleston still refusing to identify residence hall where sexual assault reported (Post and Courier)",
      "url": "https://www.postandcourier.com/news/college-of-charleston-still-refusing-to-identify-residence-hall-where-sexual-assault-reported/article_8d150202-c320-11e7-96e7-e3142d93dd2c.html",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "SLED suspends investigation into 2017 sexual assault at CofC dorm (Live 5 News)",
      "url": "https://www.live5news.com/2018/10/05/sled-suspends-investigation-into-sexual-assault-cofc-dorm/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Sketch of Person of Interest in College of Charleston Sex Assault (WLTX)",
      "url": "https://www.wltx.com/article/news/local/sketch-of-person-of-interest-in-college-of-charleston-sex-assault/101-487587921",
      "type": "local-media"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "sexual-assault",
    "timely-warning",
    "clery",
    "residence-hall",
    "unsolved",
    "composite-sketch",
    "public-masters",
    "south-carolina",
    "charleston",
    "sled"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-06-20",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-18",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}