A 22-year-old incident of alleged sexual assault has resurfaced after William Beebe was arrested Jan. 4, 2006 on a charge of the 1984 rape of Liz Seccuro, which occurred during a rush event at the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity house.
A judge in the Charlottesville Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court set Beebe's bond at $30,000 on Monday, according to The Daily Progress.
Beebe recently contacted Seccuro as part of an Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program as an effort to make amends,.
Seccuro shared her story in the Nov. 10, 1984 issue of the now-defunct University Journal. In the story, she said she lost control of her limbs after drinking an alcoholic beverage and then was alledgedly raped by William Beebe.
Wood said there are records in the Dean's office that indicate Seccuro met with several deans but decided not to press charges at the time.
"This unfortunate response is typical of the time" back then, Sexual Assault Education Coordinator Claire Kaplan said.
At that time nurses were not allowed to deal with victims of sexual assault, which meant that response was delayed because victims had to wait for an available doctor or resident, Kaplan said.
Doctors who performed the post-rape examination would face a subpoena if the issue went to court.
"My suspicion is that many doctors refused to perform these examinations because of the potential of having to appear in court," Kaplan said.
According to Kaplan, many of the problems Seccuro faced were because of ignorance about the nature of sexual assault to the lives of victims.
Research about sexual assault was in its infancy in 1984, she added.
At the time most people believed rapists were primarily anonymous strangers, but now it is known that the majority of sexual assaults occur between acquaintances, Kaplan said.
Prevalent myths also hindered rape victims' recovery. There used to be a notion that if sex occurred between people who were drinking or people who knew one another that such instances did not constitute rape, Kaplan said.
Had Seccuro been a student today, Kaplan said, she would not have received the same kind of treatment.
Now police and nurses receive specialized sexual assault training, and many well-trained staff members and students have organized to aid in emotional recovery and to spread awareness about sexual assault, Kaplan said.
The University has renewed its support of Seccuro in her recovery efforts, Wood said.
University President John T. Casteen, III and several administrators as well as University Police have expressed sympathy and have offered to meet with Seccuro to demonstrate the University's sensitivity to the gravity of sexual assault and the its responsibility in aiding victims within the community, Wood said.
The University also is complying in every way with the Charlottesville Police Department's investigation by releasing the records from the 1984 incident, she said.
The headline originally incorrectly labeled Beebe as an alumnus of the University. He never graduated from the University.
Read More
U.Va. loses over $60 million in federal research cuts
By Bertie Azqueta | 18 hours agoThe impacted grants include three from the NIH, seven from the NEH, one from the United States Agency for International Development and four from the State Department.
Department of Education reverses course, awards Federal Executive Institute to U.Va.
By Ford McCracken | 3 days agoThe ED had previously awarded the institute to Charlottesville City Schools.
Students reflect on the life and legacy of Pope Francis
By Bertie Azqueta | 4 days agoAt the University, students shared a range of perspectives on his legacy of reform, inclusivity and his impact on the global Catholic community.
