San Luis Obispo police recently announced that certain details of a reported rape that occurred in the early morning of Nov. 8 were incorrect. Police have determined that the incident did not occur at Foothill and Casa, as it was originally reported, but instead happened somewhere on Foothill Boulevard, just west of Santa Rosa Street. At this time, the exact location is still unknown.
The police also reported that the victim has decided not to be involved in the investigation after she informed police that the location was wrong. She reportedly cited personal reasons to stop participating, but an active investigation by the department is still underway.
Lt. Bill Proll said that it’s fairly common for a rape victim to stop participating in an investigation.
“It’s absolutely all up to them,” Proll said, referring to a victim’s level of participation in an investigation. “That’s why we are continuing to investigate what happened, even though she wants to discontinue.”
At this time, police have not identified a suspect, and have not determined whether or not this rape is related to a string of assaults that happened last year.
As always, women are encouraged to stay in groups, and in well-lit, heavily trafficked areas.
This article appears in Nov 20-27, 2007.