By Delia Chamberlain ‘21
Staff Writer
Merrimack College has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to sexual crimes and must report any such crimes to the federal government each year.
It’s all due to the Clery Act, a federal law requiring colleges and universities to disclose annual statistics on campus crime. It includes all crimes, from motor vehicle theft to robbery to rape. It’s posted on the college’s website.
According to this year’s Clery Act report, the number of rapes on campus dropped from 13 to two between 2015 and 2016. The number of fondling incidents also dropped from four to one during the same time frame. The incidents of dating violence reported were three in both 2015 and 2016.
Merrimack has a policy to deal with “sexual misconduct, relationship violence, and stalking.” Under the policy, any form of sexual misconduct is not tolerated. According to the school’s website, the “rights and care of the victim, and of the college community, are of primary concern to Merrimack College.”
There are many different resources on campus for victims. You can contact the Merrimack Police, Hamel Health and Counseling Center, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students, Residence Life, Campus Ministry, and many other places that you are able to go off campus.
