The Virginia Tech Police Department arrested a female student following a falsified sexual assault claim.
Alexandra Edinger, a 21-year-old mechanical engineering major, was arrested Friday on a charge of providing false information or report, according to the crime log released by the department.
The report was made during the Wiz Khalifa concert in Burruss Hall on April 3.
The offense is a class one misdemeanor, which brings a maximum prison sentence of 12 months and a maximum fine of $2,500.
RELATED: Arrested student blames alcohol for the blurry memory she holds of filing a sexual assault claim.
According to an April 6 e-mail from the department, Edinger was confronted by police officers because of her “apparent state of intoxication.”
As she was removed from the concert, she reported she had been sexually assaulted.
A following investigation determined no assault had occurred, and Edinger later admitted her report was false and that she had not been assaulted.
An e-mail Monday morning sent by the Collegiate Times to an address listed as belonging to Edinger was not returned. She was not otherwise available for comment.
Jennifer Underwood, an outreach coordinator at Tech’s Women’s Center, said the false report could mislead others on the validity of sexual assault claims.
“It plays into what a lot of people think about sexual assault already,” Underwood said. She also expressed concern that “future victims may be less likely to report (sexual assault).”
Underwood noted the high rate of underreporting in cases of sexual assault, estimating that 95 percent of cases are not reported to any local agency.
A 2005 National Institute of Justice and Department of Justice report showed approximately 35 out of every 1,000 female college students are victims of sexual assault.
With 12,138 female students, Tech could see as many as 425 sexual assault cases in a single school year.
Underwood said the Women’s Center has worked with 24 sexual assault victims since July 1, 2010.
“We’d hope the campus dialogue will focus on how we can get people who are sexually assaulted and aren’t telling anybody to get the help that they need,” Underwood said.
A version of this article appeared in the Apr 12 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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Hopefully this young woman's attempt to tip-toe her way out of a public intoxication charge will not deter legitimate victims from coming forward. Part of becoming an adult is owning up to your mistakes. Since she didn't own up to her drunkenness, she'll be learning a slightly harder lesson. Hopefully it sticks.
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The title of this article on the CT's homepage - "False sexual assault claim deters victims" needs to be removed, as it is just as much a fabrication as the false sexual assault report it "covers." Where is your evidence that this false report, that occurred less than 9 days ago has deterred other victims from reporting crimes? There is no evidence for this, because this is simply not the case.
"Jennifer Underwood, an outreach coordinator at Tech’s Women’s Center, said the false report could mislead others on the validity of sexual assault claims."
How are we supposed to take this publication seriously when the title of a simple article, are skewed more than a Fox News Commentary.
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Bravo! Well said and done!
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Given the past histrionics from the women's center, it doesn't surprise me that they are ignoring the seriousness of false reporting and treating this case as one of victimhood, by implying that if false reporting is punished - true cases will go unreported.
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Fred,
I think Jennifer Underwood of the Women's Center was saying that when the general public hears about a false report, it might cause us to not believe a person the next time we hear about a case of abuse/assault/etc.
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What "past histrionics from the women's center" are those?
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Time to re-take Freshman English Fred, your reading comprehension skills are in the toilet. The article doesn't say that, not even a little. Idiot.
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Even women are starting to stand up against this hypocrisy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_2LpLhOsc4
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Throw the book at this woman! Consider:
1. If the police hadn't caught onto her lie, she could've seriously screwed up some guy's life forever.
2. She wasted valuable manpower and resources of the VTPD investigating a bogus claim.
3. If it's shown that one can falsely report and get away with it, what kind of example does that set?
Send this chick to jail for a year.
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There was an article in the CT in 2008 about a Blacksburg man who did similar: http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/11565/man-arrested-for-false-police-report
... court records show 30 days suspended and a fine
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Dunno that I would place "robbery" (and not armed robbery, mind you) in the same category as sexual assault. While robbing someone is an awful thing to do, sexually assaulting someone is much worse and can ruin the lives of both the attacker and victim forever.
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First off, let me state that sexual assault is a horrendous act and any persons found guilty of this crime should feel the strongest response from the law. But, I feel the point of this story is missed by both the author and Ms. Underwood. While no one can truly know what the actual statistics of sexual assault versus reported sexual assaults are, I do know the first stance that should have been taken by the Women's Center is one of condemning anyone who makes false sexual assault claims. False claims undermine the Women’s Center true goal of empowering and protecting women. If you paint the false accuser the wrong-doer, then the public should see this as an isolated incident and not a representation of other sexual assault claims and that false claims will be found out.
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You're a DC "Alumnus"
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That is terrible this girl had to lie about the sexual assault to not get into trouble for being a drunk. now look what happens. Found her name listed as the Vp Operations. http://kappadeltavirginiatech.blogspot.com/
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I've never been in a sorority, but I hoping the national office will be notified of this report; does anyone know if that will happen? She does not deserve to be in a position of power.
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Quite honestly, if I were a member of that sorority I would want her out. I would not want someone like that representing me in any way, shape or form.
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Obviously, this young woman's judgment was not the best. Is it really necessary however to release her name to the entire campus community? I think that her privacy should have been more respected.
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I agree with you- not only does her reputation get tarnished but the sorority she is an officer in and the greek community as well. She should of course get punished but since she never pinpointed an "attacker"... this situation could have been a lot worse. She didn't hurt any guys reputation by saying he did it.
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Tough tatas. Yes, her name does need to be released. The police department, the CT, etc. all put out word in an attempt to capture her assailant. Had it been a real assault, and had someone been caught, you can bet that person's name would have been in the paper, so why shouldn't hers? This is a follow-up on a story that already ran so it's not like they're just trolling the court records.
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Looks like she got some sisters on here defending her. Sorry, Greek life won't get you out of this one. All names are always posted, no matter who you are. She's an adult, she needs to pay the consequences.
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No, they put out notice because if they didn't we would probably get another Clery Act violation ( the current ire of the campus over this situation was initiated with an overly prompt and incorrect response, clearly justifying why it was a good idea not to send out an email on 4/16 so quickly ... and I digress). I'm sure it was well understood from the get go that her story didn't add up. They probably just waited till she was sober to confirm everything. Also to the person earlier who said robbery doesn't compare ... Sexual assault isn't necessarily rape. It could be something as simple as trying to kiss somebody who doesn't want you too. So Yes, it does compare.
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I'm aware of what sexual assault can entail, and I still don't feel like it compares. You're entitled to your opinion though.
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Arson, burglary, robbery, sexual assault...all have varying degrees and can leave the victim psychologically and/or physically damaged. Why are we arguing over whether they compare or not?
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What world do you live in?!!?? Her name absolutely should have been released, and her reputation absolutely SHOULD be tarnished! She lost her right to privacy when she made a false statement about being sexually assaulted.
As far as the sorority receiving negative press as a result - like it or not, every member of a fraternity or sorority is an ambassador for their respective organization. It is every member's responsibility to uphold the values of the organization.
Lemme guess...one or both of you are greek?
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all arrests are public record, whether CT reported it or not, her name is already available to the public. At most, it would only take a quick FOIA request.
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FOIA? How about www.police.vt.edu then
Click on daily crime logs. A little easier genius.
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Way to be snarky...genius.
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notice I said "at most", meaning I know there are many easier ways genius.
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For those of us that have been through that sort of experience, this is a huge slap in the face. She also could have ruined some guy's life & reputation. How pathetic.
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Dear Ms. Edinger,
I'd get use to receiving a lot of rejection offers for any kind of job you might apply for. Companies tend not to want to hire folks who get publicly intoxicated, make up lies about being r*ped, and then make a complete spectacle of themselves recanting the story in a newspaper. Same holds true for the federal gov't.
Hiring managers can be pretty picky in this job market, and many interviews will involve a background check or a security investigation. Even if neither of these are required, one can learn a lot about a prospective employee with Google. Your name is going to be synonymous with irresponsible liar on the internet for a really long time.
I'd instead get used to asking folks like me whether or not I want extra foam on my latte, 'cause that is about all you'll be qualified for.
Sincerely,
Alumnus '97
PS - Sorry to be so blunt. However, I doubt anyone in your family or greek circle is going to tell you the truth, since they obviously haven't taught you much about what it means.
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What feminists WON'T tell colleges about the false rape FRAUD perpetuated by feminism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_2LpLhOsc4
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So when does she get expelled from school? Last I recalled, you can get expelled from school for being accused of rape, even if you are cleared. Why not for false accusations?
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