Effort to curb sex assaults on campuses announced

FSU 1 of 55 colleges investigated for handling of sex assault cases

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – President Barack Obama announced Friday a nationwide effort to curb sexual assaults on college campuses and Florida colleges, including Florida State University, has its work cut out.

FSU is one of 55 colleges nationally being investigated for its handling of sexual assault cases.

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Experts said from the first call to the follow-up investigation, police often make filing complaints difficult, often dropping cases and seldom filing charges.

"Over the course of three years, about 300 (cases), and to have only two prosecutions out of that group is an extremely troubling number," said Meg Baldwin, of Refuge House.

Jacksonville student Glennika Walker said she feels safe, but said, "I just think if you are aware of your surroundings and don't take drinks from people that you don't know."

FSU began an education campaign earlier in the summer. Research now shows that rapes on a college campus aren't two people getting drunk; it's a perpetrator planning his crime.

"Most of these attackers are raping more than one woman. Typically the average is about six to eight women," said Baldwin.

This past week, star quarterback Jameis Winston, who was not prosecuted after rape allegations surfaced last year, apologized for yelling an insensitive remark about women in the student union.

"I really want to apologize to my teammates," said Winston.

"He apologized to the team but not to the women he was yelling at. Do you think he should have done that?" asked reporter Mike Vasilinda.

"Yeah, he should have," said student Layla Behbahain, of Miami.

Statistically, an FSU student -- man or woman -- will probably report a rape this weekend. City police and prosecutors near college campuses do not record whether a victim is a student, so the number of students being raped could be higher.