Rapes at UConn

A reader sent in the email all UConn students received as a response to the second reported rape at the University within two weeks.


---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: [UCONN_STUDENTS-L] Crime Alert
From: "Blicher, Ronald"
Date: Sat, September 13, 2008 5:49 pm
To: UCONN_STUDENTS-L@LISTSERV.UCONN.EDU
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Crime Alert

September 13, 2008

Criminal Arrest - Sexual Assault

The following incident occurred overnight and is not related to the incident of sexual assault reported to you as a crime alert on Sept. 6. It is important for everyone in the UConn community to remain vigilant and to assist one another by calling the police if someone needs assistance. The person responsible for this incident described below has been arrested and is not considered to be an imminent threat to the community at this time.

On Saturday, Sept. 13 at approx. 2:28 AM, the UConn Police Department received reports of a sexual assault that had just occurred inside a residence at the Celeron Square Apartment complex located on Hunting Lodge Road. An unknown male had unlawfully and forcibly entered the apartment and bedroom of a female victim who was sleeping at the time. This male then sexually assaulted the female who was combative, alerting other people nearby. The male fled the apartment. Officers initially
responding to the incident had located a partially clothed white male in the area who had been attempting to force entry into another nearby apartment. It was determined that this male was the person responsible for the sexual assault.

He was arrested by UConn Police and held on $500,000 bond.

He has since posted that bond and has been released. He has been informed that he is not to be on the property of the University and although I cannot be specific, we have some assurance that this direction is understood and will be complied with.


Frank P. Cirillo, age 21, of 59 Penny Lane, Woodbridge, CT was arrested and charged with Home Invasion, Sexual Assault 1st degree, Burglary 1st, degree, Criminal Attempt Burglary-1st, Criminal Mischief 3rd, Larceny 6th, Breach of Peace 2nd.

Major Ronald Blicher
Division of Public and Environmental Safety
Director of Police Services
UConn Police Department
126 North Eagleville Road
Storrs, CT 06268
Tel. 860-486-4808
Fax. 860-486-2430

Locally and Abroad...

Street harassment is not funny, it's not flattering, and it should be publicly acknowledged for what it is - making women and other minority groups feel like shit. Harassers do it because they believe that their victims won't speak up or resist....I have found that one of the best things you can do is publicly, loudly call them out on their behavior. I have been harassed on various occasions in Storrs, CT, even in broad daylight, by guys shouting things from their cars or walking by. It is frightening and humiliating, and it makes me angry as hell. About two weeks ago I was walking across campus and crossed a main road at 9 a.m., only to have some guy drive behind me and yell at me to turn around. I honestly was so shocked the only thing I could do was ignore him and keep walking. In retrospect, I wish I had given him the middle finger but it just didn't occur to me at the time.

I have also experienced street harassment in Europe. In London this summer my friend and I were approached in a public park where we were sitting on the grass, eating dinner, by two teenage guys who said "hey sexy" etc. We rolled our eyes and left the park, only to have them follow us for blocks. As we were familiar with the area and
were on a crowded street around dinnertime I just thought their behavior was annoying but then they continued to stalk us for about 20 minutes. My friend and I began to get frightened and ran into a pub to use the bathroom and avoid them. When we left the pub they were waiting outside for us...at this point I was so fed up with their
crass remarks and disgusting behavior that I got in one guy's face and started screaming at him to leave us the f*** alone. The guy looked embarrassed at me making a scene and he and his friend walked away laughing. My friend and I were so shaken up about it, we mistakenly thought that because we were in a public place, we were minding our own business, and we weren't dressed provocatively, that we wouldn't
be a target. THIS IS NOT TRUE. You can't prevent yourself from street harassment - it can happen anytime, anywhere, and honestly why should you have to change your behavior to avoid assholes like this in the first place??

Thank you for drawing attention to this...people need to understand that it happens all the time.