Sexual Assaults in Lawrence: Not an uncommon crime
In the past five years, more than 450 adult sexual assaults have been reported in Lawrence. There's a rape in Lawrence every four days. Each case represents an instance where someone’s life has been irrevocably changed. LJWorld.com, the Lawrence Journal-World and 6News are taking a deeper look at what those numbers really mean.
Women at Kansas University have installed security systems, hung make-shift curtains, readjusted their blinds and purchased Mace.
All this since early December, when the Lawrence Police Department announced a 19-year-old Kansas University student was raped by an unidentified male who entered her home with a handgun at 2 a.m.
Police said “strong information” connected the December attack to four others in the city. In all five cases, police said, the attacker was armed with a weapon, sometimes a gun.
While most rapes in Lawrence involve people who know each other, a series of rapes by a stranger breaking into homes can send a community into high alert, said Sarah Jane Russell, executive director of GaDuGi SafeCenter.
“There’s this underlying fear because we don’t know who is out there committing these crimes,” she said.
All of the attacks have occurred between about 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. and during periods when KU students are on some type of a break from school. The attacks date back to 2004.
Police in Riley County also said they were investigating several rapes in Manhattan, home to Kansas State University, that could be related to the Lawrence cases.
Some of the 30 or so female students at KU professor Charlene Muehlenhard’s Women and Violence class, which meets on Thursdays, said they were taking precautions, but wished more information about the case was being released.
They pointed to the description of the suspect as a white male between 25 and 40 years old, 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet tall, with a slim build.
KU junior Ruthie Newman said that could be just about anyone.
“We don’t know what we are up against,” she said. “I could take someone at 5-8, but 6-4 could be a problem.”
Lawrence police Sgt. Bill Cory said this week that the investigation is a top priority for the department. But there was no new information in the case.
He did have general tips for staying safe. They include:
● Park in well-lit areas.
● Lock your doors and windows.
● Don’t answer the door unless you know who it is.
● If you don’t have a peephole, install one.
● When going out alone, tell someone where you are going, what you are doing and how long you are going to be there.
“I don’t want to sound like an alarmist or for people to become over-paranoid, but just be more aware of your surroundings,” Corey said. “Know what is going on around you, and if you see anything out of the ordinary, even if you think ‘well that’s silly,’ you probably ought to call the Lawrence Police Department.”
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Omegatron (anonymous) says…
"All of the attacks have occurred between about 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. and during periods when KU students are on some type of a break from school. The attacks date back to 2004."
Home defense. That's what these girls need to be taught in addition to awareness of their surroundings.
They need to make sure they always lock doors and windows at night. Put up curtains and blinds that make seeing into difficult.
Put things by windows that can be knocked over and make a lot of noise in the event of someone gaining entry that way.
Other things in unusual places that can trip up someone fumbling in the dark.
Locks on bedroom doors, buy a dog.
Make friends dropping by late at night talk to them on the cell til they knock.
There's a lot someone can do to make someone think twice about breaking in.
BTW: Buy an air-horn. Wake up the whole hood. Doubt the punk'll stick around in that event.
merrill (anonymous) says…
How could this person know who does not share living quarters or is home alone?
Obviously this requires some stalking. Pay attention to surroundings and what appears to be someone lurking consistently. Someone sitting in a vehicle or following whether in a vehicle or walking.
If one is not expecting company do not open doors night or day.
Stay away from "date" chat boards.
merrill (anonymous) says…
If an unexpected knock comes be prepared to dial 911 pronto
no matter what. If the LPD discover it is in fact a harmless friend so be it. That's better than rape.
cowboy (anonymous) says…
practice with your new glock in front of your house , get a dog , and lock your doors and windows
WHY (anonymous) says…
“I could take someone at 5-8, but 6-4 could be a problem.” Actually the gun will be more of a problem than eight inches, but hey if you want to try mace and some cool self defense moves good luck.
Omegatron (anonymous) says…
A gun is not a good ideal, most of the time you're not going to answer the door with gun in hand. This guy is coming armed himself, he see you going for a gun...
Being smart is the best way to protect yourself.
You want your friends to talk to you on the phone when they walk up to your door. You want to be on the phone with a friend when answering the door if it's not someone you know.
You want to make it hard for someone to enter through other means outside the living room door. Always have an escape plan if you live on the ground floor.
Tactical retreat is better then confrontation. Know when to run, fight only when running is not an option.
Have a room that you can retreat to if getting outside the home is difficult. Make sure there's always a phone in there or some device that can make lots of noise. ie an air-horn.
Make sure you always have a phone on you.
Another thing you can do is always have someone call you at a certain time of night just to check up on you.
RaynRavyn (anonymous) says…
Donnuts (Anonymous) says…
make sure you have a good roommate, too. One that will use a knife at the right time. call the lawrence police too, they will do the right thing.
I say: Bullsh*t. Have been there. LPD does nothing. The "detective" (and I use the term very loosely) assigned to my case actually told me he believed I had initated sex with the man who raped me, then "yelled rape to get out of it".
Omegatron (Anonymous) says…
A gun is not a good idea [sic], most of the time you're not going to answer the door with gun in hand.
I say: At 2 am, with a "serial rapist" at large... Oh, yes, yes I am... For that very reason. If it is someone I know, they will understand. If it isn't, they better talk fast and have a very good reason for being there. :)
Omegatron (anonymous) says…
"I say: At 2 am, with a “serial rapist” at large… Oh, yes, yes I am… For that very reason. If it is someone I know, they will understand. If it isn't, they better talk fast and have a very good reason for being there. :)"
That might lead to an accident that you might regret for the rest of your life. Don't think you want that.
Implement a rule that you don't allow random unannounced visit after dark.
Implement a call first before visit policy.
Implement a call from cell phone before getting out of car to come knock on door policy.
Do the little things to eliminate as much of the unknown as you can. That way you know in advance if you need to be on guard or not when you hear a knock at the door.
Omegatron (anonymous) says…
"Go out and have a good drink over it with you and all your buddies though. I am sure I will be a laugh to you in the morning.–––––-Rynruyn and Omegatron."
Alright. I give. Explain.
When did I respond to something you said and how anything I've posted offended you?
gl0ck0wn3r (anonymous) says…
"Police said “strong information” connected the December attack to four others in the city. In all five cases, police said, the attacker was armed with a weapon, sometimes a gun."
Yeah well, it's a good thing that people are buying Mace and adjusting their blinds because both actions are totally effective against someone with a firearm. Why not include concealed carry on the list of possible precautions? Oh right, because the womyn at KU - like most self-styled progressives - are reflexively against scary guns. I'm sure Ruthie and her l33t ninja skillz will be safe vs. a 5'4" person with a weapon.
pissedinlawrence (anonymous) says…
I agree, the Lawrence Police Department is a joke. Some of the dumbest cops I have ever met. An officer was dusting for prints when I got robbed and he left the prints he had picked up when he left. But I could tell he didnt give a shoe that my stuff was stolen.
dulcinea47 (anonymous) says…
Um, the article says "breaking into homes," not knocking on doors and being let in, like most of the scenarios posted. Maybe it'd be better to address home security as a whole rather than meeting armed intruders at the door.
Omegatron (anonymous) says…
"Um, the article says “breaking into homes,” not knocking on doors and being let in, like most of the scenarios posted. Maybe it'd be better to address home security as a whole rather than meeting armed intruders at the door."
In the above case, anti-intrusion is a major part of the solution.
You have to assume that the perpetrator is scouting out targets before hand looking for 'soft' targets to hit.
'soft' targets being targets that he can easily scout out and gain sufficient enough knowledge to form an attack strategy.
His targets have to be those that he can gain easy access to, and gives him the best chance at the element of surprise so that he can control the situation.
Which is why I recommend doing a lot to prevent someone from gaining easy access. If he has to work to get in, I'm betting he'll be more likely to move on to an different target.
Omegatron (anonymous) says…
... at the same time I think it's very important to know who's dropping by in advance to limit the possibility of someone forcing their way into your home, and to prevent some stranger from getting a good look into your living room, giving him an ideal of it's general layout...
Omegatron (anonymous) says…
"Omegatron, I like your suggestions, they sound fool-proof & even more so if multiple ones are used at the same time. Thank you for sharing. I need to do something like that for my own home."
By themselves, nothing is fool-proof. You've got to have a comprehensive home security plan, in addition to doing all the things you are taught about being safe outside the home, in order to lessen the chance of someone attacking you.
Make someone who is stalking you think that his chances of gaining easy access to your home, and having the element of surprise upon entry, isn't all that likely, and he'll probably move on.