Police investigating reports of sex assaults at McMaster campus event

Hamilton police are investigating reports of sexual assaults and aggressive harassment of female students at a McMaster University event on April 8.

Those incidents led to a flurry of social media posts and warnings on the 'Spotted at Mac' Facebook page after Friday's end-of-term Light Up the Night event on campus.

While there are a number of posts on the unofficial student-community web site, the university says it and police are investigating one sex assault in a washroom in the Burke Science Building and four other complaints. The complaints mentioned "unwanted, non-consensual touching." 

Police were called by the university Friday during the event.

It's unclear from the posts if there is a group or a single person harassing the women. The posts talk of being approached and when they reject the conversation or advance, the women face unwanted touching and/or harassment.

Not only around Mac

Here are some examples of the posts: 

• "They inappropriately touched two girls and invaded their personal space kissing them on their face."
• "We tried to run but they found us again and a girl was inappropriately touched again. We finally escaped but only to be in fear for the rest of the night."
• "Please be careful they are young but very aggressive and touchy. It was a very traumatizing experience for the group and they need to be stopped." 

Several suggest the same man or men have harassed women on other social media sites; Instagram and Snapchat, on the bus and at other locations in the city.

"These guys are not only around Mac, they are also around Hess on Friday nights and Saturday," reads one post. 

In some posts, there are descriptions of the men along with ways women can protect themselves.

"These complaints have been going on for a lot longer than just a few days," said a post.

The university is deeply troubled by the incidents and reached out to survivors to provide assistance and care as they need it.- Gord  Arbeau, Dir. of Public Relations, McMaster University

Gord Arbeau, McMaster's director of public relations said the school takes its responsibility to students seriously and is working with Hamilton Police.

"The university is deeply troubled by the incidents and reached out to survivors to provide assistance and care as they need it," he said.

The university's Facebook notification about the incidents has reached 77,000 viewers, while its news website report has reached 7,500 people and been shared 11,000 times.

Still, posts on the 'Spotted on Mac' page suggest "very little people have come forward" suggesting security and police can't do much about the posts unless victims come forward.

When asked what the university is doing to encourage students to come forward Arbeau said they are "committed to utmost confidentiality" and said there are "multiple ways" they can engage the university and receive support.

"We are committed to ensuring timely information is shared and continue to update the community as new information is received," he said.

Victim-centred approach

A statement from Hamilton Police confirmed officers are investigating the incidents. Information about sexual assaults will only be shared with the public when there is "a potential public safety risk".

"Confidentiality and ensuring that we are providing a victim-centred approach is our priority," said media officer Const. Steve Welton of Hamilton Police in an email.

Students can access support services through several links provided on the Daily News Worth Mentioning page.