PITTSBURGH — University of Pittsburgh students held a town hall on Wednesday inside the Alumni Hall, sharing their concerns with university administration and the police department about safety on campus. This comes after several sexual assaults, including one of a young woman attacked inside a stairwell in the Cathedral of Learning. The attack happened at 4 o’clock on a Monday afternoon. Out of respect for victims and so students felt comfortable, our cameras were not allowed into the meeting.
Students on campus say something needs to change and they’d like to see more security in the Cathedral of Learning, security cameras inside the stairwell and restricted access to the public.
“It’s really disgusting and kind of scary as a female student here,” Kara Johansen tells Channel 11 News.
“We should be able to go to class and feel safe,” Sophie Runia tells Channel 11. “We should be able to go to a school building and feel protected.”
Students say the Cathedral of Learning attack was the third sexual assault on or near Pitt’s campus in the last month. The first attack happened at University Place in early September. A week and a half later, another sexual assault was reported on North Dithridge Street.
The university says it’s adding more police and security throughout the building.
“It makes no sense that we would be walking around and have to be fearful that something is going to happen to us,” Runia added.
Police do not believe these sexual assaults are connected. They did not provide a detailed description of the assailant in the Cathedral of Learning attack.
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