Rapes Scare Brown Students

Two rapes in three weeks at Brown University have left students frightened and angry that, in one activist's words, "One man has caused 2000 women to be afraid."

The rapes occurred October 4 and October 21 within two blocks of each other. Since then there has been a substantial increase in the use of the Brown shuttle system from about 40 people a night to more than 100, and the late-night escort service is overtaxed as well. The University has rented a second shuttle bus and is developing plans to expand the escort service to meet the increased demand.

In the meantime, students are being warned by their professors to walk in pairs at night. Campus police have distributed two leaflets which give a physical description of the assailant and advice on how to avoid rape. Students are very conscious of the danger and are walking home and jogging in pairs, said Vernon T. Silver, a reporter for the Brown Daily Herald.

The rapist, who has not yet been caught, is described by the police as a light-skinned Black or Hispanic man in his 20s or 30s, with a short beard and moustache, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing approximately 150-160 pounds. According to police, the attacker grabbed his first victim from behind and held a knife to her throat. The second woman was threatened with a knife but never actually saw it. In neither case did the man use his knife.

"We're not saying it's the same guy, but the descriptions are similar," said Brown security consultant Tim Norris.

The second woman is known to be a Brown student, but no information has been released on the first victim.

Brown student Laura Moye and fellow student Kathy Yep, who have worked with rape crisis groups and were rewriting a University pamphlet on rape, called a meeting Monday as an outlet for students' feelings. More than 100 women and six or seven men attended the meeting, which was publicized by word of mouth.

Women on Call, a Brown support group for women and men who have been sexually abused or harrassed, was called immediately after both rapes, said Barbara Tannenbaum, a member of the group. She waited with both women in the hospital until they were examined and sent home, she said.

Tannenbaum was "upset" that the second victim had to wait more than five hours before seeing a doctor and being allowed to wash up. She said she hopes to see a "gynecologist on call" in the future.

Brown's Undergraduate Council, campus security and women's groups are working out a plan this week for increased escort services that will be suitable to all. This planning arose after several Brown fraternities proposed running escort services themselves. Many women groups were unhappy with the fraternity plan, fearing it would merely increase the incidence of date rape.

There is a racial aspect as well, said Tanya Lee, president of the Brown student organization United Against Racism, who worries that students will be more concerned with avoiding Hispanic or Black men than a "rapist in general."