A Longwood University student is being held in Piedmont Regional Jail after allegedly raping a fellow student. On the morning of Sunday, Feb. 23, the Farmville Police Department (FPD) and Longwood University Police Department (LUPD) responded to a reported rape that occurred on the 600 block of Buffalo Street.
“The [alleged] victim reported that she was at a house party when she was forced into a room and raped,” reported FPD Chief Doug Mooney in a press release. “Officers interviewed witnesses and obtained physical evidence before arresting Gus Phillip Altschuler, 22, of Newport News, for Rape and Abduction with the Intent to Defile.”
According to LUPD Chief of Police Bob Beach, the alleged victim, along with some friends, informed LUPD and FPD of the events that occurred the night prior. The departments are currently preforming a joint investigation regarding this case, with Altschuler under the FPD’s jurisdiction. Altschuler, a Longwood University Student, will remain in Piedmont Regional Jail until April 7, 2014, when his court hearing will be held. “He could face life in prison if he is convicted of either of these felony charges,” said Mooney.
According to Mooney, it will be up to Longwood’s student-run Conduct Board to decide whether Altschuler will remain at Longwood if the charges are dropped. This system is separate from any other court system, and in this case will require a Title IX investigation before results can be determined, according to Dr. Tim Pierson vice president for Student Affairs.
“What I’ve learned is that probably six to seven of these type of events go on unreported in a school year,” says Beach. “It normally comes some other way like through word of mouth or through the counseling center, so an official police investigation cannot be preformed because most victims refuse to come foreword.”
There has not been a prosecution of a sexual assault in the University in 10 years; this is disturbing to Chief Beach because he believes this type of event is life-changing to the victim, the victim’s family and the victim's close friends.
There are many myths as to why so many sexual assaults go unreported, according to Beach. The first myth is when a victim thinks “it’s my fault.” If you say “Stop,” it means stop, when you say, “No,” it means no. Beach expressed that just because you may have been drinking or flirting doesn’t mean you don’t have a right to say stop.
“A lot of victims believe it was something that they did that caused it to happen, but at any point if they say, ‘Stop,’ that’s where it should end,” says Beach.
Lastly, Beach said that the very first person most victims talk to is a friend. Then, eventually what happens is the victim gets a lot of information telling them, “They don’t need to tell the police; let’s just get you taken care of.”
Beach said the first person a victim should tell is the police so they can perform a proper investigation and help the victim receive medical attention.
“At any point at the investigative process the victim can tell the police that they don’t want to pursue this case in a criminal vein any longer, and it will end,” said Beach. “At least you will have the investigation and information on file so if further down the road the victim wants to bring it back up, they can.” The alleged victim in this case brought the information to the police and is getting proper treatment. As of now the victim of this case has been under a great deal of trauma but is in recovery.
If you are ever in danger or have experienced a sexual assault, call 911 or the LUPD dispatch at (434) 395-2091. The relationship between a victim and the police is 100 percent confidential. The department functions under a Rape Shield and will never give out the name of a victim.
UPDATED 03/17/15: This article previously referred to the alleged victim as the victim, the has been corrected.
