An annual crime report from Ohio State University says the number of reported rapes on campus last year more than doubled from the previous year.
The Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report says there were 61 rapes reported on the Ohio State campus in 2016. That’s up from 25 in 15, and more than three times the 20 campus rapes reported in 2014.
One reason for the increase, according to school leaders, is a growing campus population that includes sophomores now living on campus.
A release from Ohio State also credited better reporting and a new reporting policy that includes assaults where the exact location of the crime can’t be determined.
“The safety of our campus community is our No. 1 priority and we take all crime reports very seriously,” Monica Moll, the director of Ohio State’s Department of Public Safety, said in the release. “The university continues to invest in safety and security to provide proactive policing and security services to additional campus residents and for major events.”
The annual report is required under the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act.
The report comes a week after the Trump administration said it was rolling back an Obama-era directive that made it easier for schools to take disciplinary action against those accused of sexual assault.
