CLARKE COUNTY, Ga. — UGA is telling students to stay in groups as police investigate a sex crime, after a student reported she was possibly sexually assaulted downtown.
Athens-Clarke County Police say a woman reported a possible sex crime overnight Thursday into Friday near City Hall.
Officers picked up the report at a hospital Friday morning, and detectives are now questioning one person of interest.
No one has been arrested as of Monday evening, Channel 2’s Matt Johnson learned.
“I mean, it’s terrible. I’ve heard of stories like that happening a lot in college towns like this,” said UGA student Alesso Matthews.
The victim told officers the last thing she remembers is being with friends at a downtown bar around 11:30 p.m.
She said she woke up in the dark on cardboard boxes at the top of the city hall stairs.
She told officers an unknown man was behind her within arm’s reach and she walked away disoriented with her skirt inside out.
Some students said they worry about how others can take advantage of how comfortable students feel at the start of the school year.
“It’s kind of a known thing. They’re like, ‘Oh, no one here is going to hurt you, just everyone’s students here,’” said UGA senior Niha Pathak.
The report lists the suspect as unknown and homeless.
Officers wrote it up as sexual battery and UGA’s alert to students called it a possible sexual assault.
The university is working with the student and her family and points students toward its discounted late-night Lyft program.
“Even if you’re a guy or a girl, anything can happen to you,” Pathak said.
Police have not named any suspects, and they’re hoping anyone who saw anything that night in this area can come forward.
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