U of M students commend woman who fought off attacker who broke into her dorm room

WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced​ ​​​sexual violence or know someone affected by it. 

University of Manitoba students are praising a woman for her bravery after she fought off an attacker in her dorm room and alerted others to evacuate the building.

Winnipeg police said an intruder broke into a woman's suite in the school's Arthur V. Mauro residence building while she was sleeping early Friday morning, and physically assaulted her.

The woman described the attack on social media, saying the intruder came into her dorm room and beat her while trying to sexually assault her, but she managed to fight him off, run out of the room and pull the fire alarm.

CBC News is not identifying her because because she is the victim of a crime. 

Students on campus Sunday commended the woman for her courage.

"I just hope that the victim is doing OK," said University of Manitoba student Samantha Westlands. "And I think it was really amazing and strong of her to come forward." 

Kangyi Nie, who read the woman's social media post, echoed Westland's thoughts.

"I think she's very brave and very clever [to] ring the fire alarm," she said.

But the student added she lamented somebody had to go through that experience, saying she felt "quite sick" after the attack and that she has been more anxious about her safety on campus. 

"It's a little bit unsafe for us and it's better to add security on campus," Nie said.

Meanwhile, Theo Lupinek said he and his friends exited the building once the fire alarm went off on Friday. It was only after the school sent an email to students about the attack he learned what had happened.

"I felt guilty because … at 4 a.m. I had been complaining," he said. "That was the right choice … in an active emergency situation where you need help, that's the most important thing, is to get it."

Increased security

The university said it will be stepping up its security measures in response to the incident.

In an email Saturday, the school said there would be increased security presence in the lobby of each residence building on a 24-hour basis, complementing the regular nightly security schedule.

There would also be additional security personnel at residence lobby entrances, routine checks of all residence entrances and exits and a review and enhancement of specific door security as needed, the email said. 

Naomi Andrew, vice-president of administration, previously told CBC News that the school has institutional safety officers patrolling all campus buildings around the clock, and that residences have their own security staff, with each floor having its doors locked.

But Andrew added there wasn't a security guard monitoring the floor at the time of the incident.

Westland said on-site security have started asking for people's room keys when they enter her building. She said the measures have made her and others feel more comfortable, but that she still doesn't feel completely safe.

"The after-response has been heavy and I think that's good. But obviously, there was a failing on behalf of the security or the university … that this was able to happen in the first place," Westland said.

"It's just awful for the person and I hope that she's doing better."

'Bigger social questions': Prof

Police have charged 46-year-old Garry Junior Edwards with a number of charges, including sexual assault, attempting to overcome resistance by choking, suffocating or strangling, robbery and several counts of breaking and entering.

Edwards had previously been convicted of two counts of sexual assault with a weapon and several other offences in relation to incidents involving two strangers on the same day in 2012.

A public notification issued on May 17 warned he'd been released from prison after serving a sentence for being unlawfully at large, and that he was still considered a high risk to re-offend.

The notification said Edwards was under statutory release conditions.

Michael Weinrath, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Winnipeg, said people who've been proven in court to be at a high risk to re-offend and who haven't participated or shown interest in treatment can be put under supervision for several years after their original sentence has expired.

But he added that while there are a number of conditions that can be put on sex offenders that can be very restrictive, it's difficult to make the case for people to be locked up forever even if cases like this "fan the flames" among the public.

"The answer to these usual things unfortunately is, 'Well, we need more supervision … longer jail sentences,'" Weinrath said. "These things are, in the end, impossible to prevent 100 per cent."

Weinrath said that provincially, the Headingley Correctional Centre, the Assiniboine Treatment Centre and community organizations all offer programs that help sex offenders reintegrate, and that the province has a hard time actually providing enough of them for interested inmates.

He said that addressing recidivism requires a proactive as well as a reactive approach.

"I think it's great to have more programs and treatment and better-trained police and probation parole officers," he said. "But yeah, there's some bigger social questions. I think we need better answers."

For anyone who has been sexually assaulted, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services via the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. ​​If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911. 

The Winnipeg Police Service says anyone who has experienced sexual assault can access victim services at 204-986-6350 or through the Klinic sexual assault crisis line at 204-786-8631.