Speaking at a press conference in Chapel Hill, NC, Robinson recounted the night of February 14, when Tar Heels junior linebacker Allen Artis allegedly raped her in an athletic dorm while she was “incapacitated”.
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A student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill went public on Tuesday with allegations that she was raped by one of the school’s football players and that the university failed to adequately investigate the alleged assault.
Head coach Larry Fedora told the press Tuesday the team was aware of the Artis’ situation and that they “take these matters very seriously”, adding on they were “fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities”.
Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall said no final decisions have been made on whether to prosecute, but Robinson’s attorney Denise Branch pointed to an August 2 email she received from one of Woodall’s assistant prosecutors about the felony charges.
Robinson said investigators asked her about the amount of alcohol she consumed on the night she allegedly was assaulted, among other questions. Their complaint also alleged that campus officials allowed a hostile environment for students reporting sexual assault.
When she listened to the interviews of her alleged attacker, conducted by the UNC Department of Public Safety, Robinson said her “humiliation turned to anger”. “They provided reassurances to him when he became upset, even laughed with him when he told about how many girls’ phone numbers he was able to get on the same night”, the sophomore said as her father was seated next to her.
“They told him, ‘Don’t sweat it, just keep on living your life and playing football, ‘” she said. “My life has changed forever, while the person who assaulted me continues as a student and a football player on this campus”.
The Orange County District Attorney’s office told CNN that the UNC Chapel Hill police investigation has not been completed and there has been no decision on whether to bring felony charges.
UNC-Chapel Hill said it was prohibited from responding to Robinson’s allegations under federal privacy law. However, Ms Robinson says police, prosecutors and the university were slow to take action.
Furthermore, Robinson said that she had to endure a series of “humiliating and accusatory questions” from DPS investigators.
She gave statements to both law enforcement and university police. We have watched with dismay as the UNC Department of Public Safety and the Title IX office spent far more time investigation my daughter rather than her rapist. “And six months later, the university has done nothing”.
She said she ‘takes responsibility for that, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to violate me. She added that Robinson also had marks on her neck, and held up a photo that showed apparent bruising.
The Associated Press reported that an Orange County magistrate on Tuesday afternoon issued an arrest warrant for Artis. The Orange County & Chatham County District Attorney’s office said it could not comment on the police department’s behalf.
The case joins a horrifying file of campus rape scandals involving football players – see: Florida State, Baylor, Vanderbilt, the list goes on – that have shaken the national sports establishment and raised questions about how college administrations adjudicate sexual violence allegations. UNC defensive coordinator Gene Chizik said Tuesday evening after practice that he had no response about the rape allegations and referred reporters to the statement released earlier by the university. The University provides compassionate care to all students who need support.
Robinson and her attorney said that is not true in this case.
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UNC was investigated by the U.S. Department of Education for its handling of sexual-assault cases in 2013.
