Alleged rape under investigation

According to officers’ accounts of a police report, the
victim remembered having sexual intercourse with an unknown male
inside the fraternity house after consuming a large amount of
alcohol. The victim did not, however, remember where in the house
the incident occurred or how she got back to her residence
hall.

Nancy Diehl, chief of trials at the Wayne County
prosecutor’s office, said a person who is sufficiently
intoxicated is considered “physically helpless” under
Michigan law, and would be unable to legally give consent to sexual
intercourse. Diehl added that sexual intercourse with a physically
helpless victim constitutes third-degree criminal sexual conduct, a
felony under Michigan law.

The alleged rape reportedly took place at a fraternity on the
1400 block of Washtenaw Avenue. The two fraternity houses located
on this block are Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Josh Dimkoff, executive vice president of PDT, said the
fraternity is dry and does not serve alcohol at any gatherings. He
added that there was no gathering at the PDT house Friday.

But SAE had an unofficial party Friday night, said LSA junior
Varujan Arman, a member of SAE.

SAE President Dustin Nelson refused to comment.

AAPD Lt. Mark Hoornstra said police are currently trying to
locate a suspect and determine the circumstances of the crime.

“We will be interviewing people who were at the party and
members of the fraternity to try and find a suspect,”
Hoornstra said. “Also, we are investigating to what extent
the act might have been consensual. Indications are that the victim
was extremely intoxicated and we’re not sure how much she
remembers, so we’re not sure if she gave consent or
not.”

A friend of the victim reported to police that she found the
victim in a closed room, where she saw the victim having sex with a
man the witness did not recognize. The friend added that she was
soon after forced out of the room.

“Before she could enter the room further, someone grabbed
her from behind and pulled her from the room and shut the door,
then denied her access to the room after,” Hoornstra
said.

The victim’s friend then reportedly left the house and
found the outside window of the room, where she called to her
friend. She reported then seeing the male leave the room.

The victim told police she arrived at the fraternity house at 11
p.m. with five friends. She said a closed gathering was taking
place at the house, but she and her friends were allowed inside
though they were not on the guest list.

Police said the victim’s resident advisor convinced her to
go to a hospital, where a rape kit was administered.

Interfraternity Council President Casey Bourke declined to
comment.