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Students stunned by reports of sexual assaults on CNU campus

Posted at 7:35 PM, Mar 21, 2013
and last updated 2013-03-21 19:36:14-04

Newport News, Va. - There have been three reports of sexual assaults at Christopher Newport University and students were stunned to hear about it.

"I was shocked when you just told me, and I'm uncomfortable about it," said Kristin English, a CNU junior.

Campus police say all three assaults were reported on February 26,  and that it's a coincidence that each one was reported on the same day.

The most recent victim told police she was forcibly sodomized and received non-life threatening injuries inside Potomac River residence hall on February 24, two days before it was reported.

Another assault occurred in October when a female student told police she was raped at the Wilson Apartments on East campus.

And the last one police told NewsChannel 3 about was at James River Hall in November when another victim said she was also raped.

NewsChannel 3 talked to several students on campus today and not one of them heard about any of the assaults since the university didn't send out a notice.

"Honestly, I'm shocked. And I'm shocked that the administration didn't say anything to us about it, especially being a young female on campus. Not being aware of that bothers me and it's kind of scary," said Anna Dinwiddie, a CNU junior.

NewsChannel 3 talked to a campus police spokesperson who says they would have sent out an alert if they felt there was a threat to the university community.

Students say they've recently received notices about other reported crimes.

"I wish the university would have told us. We get CNU alerts about robberies, and I feel like rape is definitely up there in importance," English added.