New law could cause sexual assault cases to rise

Law is a policy UW-L already had in place

The number of sexual assaults in Wisconsin could be on the rise thanks to Gov. Scott Walker.

That’s because he signed a bill that may help with those incidents being reported.

Under the new law, “a victim of a sexual assault, who comes and reports to police, would not be cited for a forfeiture,” University of Wisconsin-La Crosse police chief Scott McCollough said. “In other words, if they were drinking underage, or something along those lines, they would not have to worry about being ticketed.”

McCollough added the rationale is that the victim might be more comfortable reporting the crime. 

It’s a policy UW-L has had for several years, but some students may not have known, McCollough said. 

“I’m not sure how much of a change it’s made,” he said. “ Maybe with the publicity, this will help victims feel more comfortable coming out.”

McCollough says they have attempted to get the word out by posting it on their website and having meetings with students, as well.

The law also grants the same protection to bystanders of sexual assault, as well.