Woman raped outside of campus-area bar
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EUGENE, Ore. -- A woman was raped outside a bar near the University of Oregon campus early Friday morning.
At around 2:40 A.M. Friday police received a call that a woman had been raped in the parking lot behind Rennie's Landing, a campus-area bar just west of the University, Eugene Police officials said.
The victim, a 25-year-old woman, told police that she was outside of the bar when a man approached her and offered her a cigarette. She said that she then followed the man around the corner down 12th alley to a parking lot, where he assaulted and raped her.
Eugene Police have recently increased their patrols in the area west of the University.
"Due to the calls for service, there's an increase in police presence in the West University area during the weekend hours," said Lt. David Natt. "This occurred on a Thursday into a Friday, so there would be normal police presence down there for that time of night."
The University of Oregon Police Department sent out campus alerts through e-mail Friday night to warn students about the incident.
UO students near the area were alarmed to hear about the alleged assault.
"It's scary to think about," said Mary Craver, a UO student.
"I've always heard about things happening a little off campus," said Anna Lango, a UO student. "We don't go off too much, but knowing that it's nearby it is frightening.
Authorities are urging everyone in the area to be vigilant of your surroundings and always travel in pairs.
Police described the suspect as a black male with light skin, age 25-35, with very short hair, wearing a white coat and dark blue jeans. The victim said that he had a "nice," white car similar to a Lexus. She did not know the car's make or model.
The victim is not a student at the University of Oregon.
Police are asking anyone with information about the case to call please call Eugene Police at 541-682-5111.
Was the cigarette a Kool?
That's racist... " Kool", it has to be a newport.
@PEANUT Well there was some discussion earlier regarding DNA testing to see if she was telling the truth about the rapist being black, I was just trying to speed things alon,. With the economic down turn, I should have considered "Newports" also.
So if you mention that the rapist is BLACK and you get deleted... 2 funny kval.
I was surprised they even mentioned he was black. They usually don't specify race unless the perp is white.
  So she walked into an alley with a complete stranger for a "cigarette"? Probably offered her weed.
I know girls who have ended up in bad situations because somebody used the "what? you racist?" card against them to force them into a position of trust.
 @moej There is an awesome textbook that deals with influence tactics. Influence: Science and Practice by Robert B. Cialdini. Those girls could have benefited from it.
I think all rapist should be executed. But use some common sense lady. You followed a strange man into an alley then parking lot at 2:40 a.m.? Just too stupid.
Typical that most of the comments here blame the victim. It is no wonder that rape is the #1 unreported crime. This is why acquaintance rape is so prevalent, most people blame the victim for trusting the perp, and the perp goes free, the victim is re-victimized by the system and the next girl is less likely to speak out.
 @Blahblahblah No one is blaming her for the actual rape. For making blatantly stupid decisions prior to it? Absolutely. Like it or not, everyone has a hand in maintaining their own safety. Btw, rape is also the #1 falsely reported crime.
My first thought was "Duck?"
@Fancy Jack  Didn't cross my mind till they said he was black.
It doesn't matter why she was there or that she followed him into the alley. No still means no.Â
 @mv1967 Of course no means no, but it does matter that she followed him into the alley. It wasn't a smart thing to do.
 @PleaseBeSmart "It wasn't a smart thing to do"
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...therefore what, exactly? She deserved to have somebody assault and rape her?
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 @Andy Anderson Feel free to stick to what I've said only and not what you think I'm implying. =/ Suspecting is a more appropriate word in this case than expecting. And yes, she should have been suspicious. I do not think she had it coming, and I'm not attempting to minimize her rapist's actions, nor do I think they should be minimized in any way. I think everyone is firmly aware that rape is wrong, so I didn't exactly feel the need to point it out. Apparently not everyone is aware that following a strange guy down an alley is a stupid decision, so I am pointing that out. And people would be justified in calling it out and criticizing if I made a stupid mistake regarding my own safely that lead to something terrible happening to me. People talk about those dumb mistakes when it leads to a car crash, a death, a robbery... but somehow it's taboo to talk about when someone is raped? Save it. That's just PC nonsense. And I don't appreciate the name calling, btw.Â
 @PleaseBeSmart I'm sure glad we've got Captain Hindsight here to do finger-wagging after the fact. I hope nothing bad ever happens to you and you have to listen to a sanctimonious jerk like yourself pass judgment and imply that it's something you had coming and should have expected.Should she have left the bar with a strange man? Probably not, but I've picked up strangers in bars before too. Maybe I've got a better trustworthy-gauge, but it doesn't matter. The problem is somebody who felt entitled to assault and rape somebody else, full stop. You're trying to minimize that.
 @Andy Anderson I literally just said "of course no means no." Are you just trolling or something? =/ In no way did I even imply that she deserved it. But had she behaved with a bit more common sense, it likely wouldn't have happened.Â
I agree with Bender, why would a young woman follow a stranger down an alley. Granted she is an adult and should be able to do as she pleases, but first she ought to be a black belt in some form of marshall arts, maybe have a ccp, and just plain tough as nails. That is just the way it seems to be in this day and age. There are just too many perverts on the loose.
Why on earth would you follow a stranger down an alley, especially at that time of the day?
@Bender ;Cause you are 25 and drunk at 2:00 AM is a possibiliity....now if the rape kit doesn't come up with DNA consistent with a "black male" there are other possibilites. And yes, Virginia, DNA can indicate race.
 @hewhoo 25 is old enough to foresee some of the possible consequences of your actions, and adjust your behavior accordingly.Â