Temple looks to U. for advice on rapes

Temple University administrators have been requesting advice from University officials on handling the two recent reports of acquaintance rape at the North Philadelphia school. Women's Center Director Elena DiLapi and Office of Health Education Director Susan Villari have both been fielding calls about the University's resources for victims of acquaintance rape and its awareness programs. DiLapi said she has spoken with various officials in the Temple Student Affairs Office about forming a women's center and a rape-crisis center on the Temple campus, a proposal a committee of students, faculty and administrators is currently discussing. Villari has received requests for members of Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape to speak at a forum on acquaintance rape and for Temple to reprint portions of STAAR's latest acqaintance rape brochure. Bettina Beech, a graduate student in Temple's department of Health Education, said she called Villari because she was impressed the students in STAAR had mobilized on their own. Yet she admits the reported rapes have caught Temple students as well as administrators unprepared, even thought she says students are made aware of acquaintance rape during orientation week. "People forget . . . their guard is let down," Beech said. "I think it is fair to say we were caught off-guard." Two weeks ago, a woman reported being gang raped at the Alpha Phi Delta fraternity house at Temple. And a few days later, a woman told police she was raped by a man she knew in the Temple Towers dormitory. Mark McGraw, son of former Phillies' pitcher Tug McGraw, has been charged with rape, indecent assault, indecent exposure, simple assault, unlawful restraint and false imprisonment in connection with the reported incident. After the alleged rape at the Alpha Phi Delta house, the fraternity was suspended pending an investigation by the university, the fraternity's national organization, and the university's Inter-Fraternity Council. Also, Temple President Peter Liacouras met with the woman who was allegedly raped at the Alpha Phi Delta house for 90 minutes a few days after she reported the incident. Villari and DiLapi said they are impressed with Temple's swift, concerned response, but added they are not surprised Temple does not have resources to deal with acquaintance rape and sexual assault. Villari said last week many universities have not devoted their energies to dealing with acquaintance rape because they fear their action is equal to admitting there is an acquaintance rape problem on campus. "I think universities are skeptical to plan proactively," Villari said. "No one wants that stigma." Many universities then rush to develop resources for victims of sexual assault after an assault is reported, Villari said. Before the two reported incidents earlier this month, Temple had received no reports of rape or sexual assault for almost two years. DiLapi said several people from Temple have come to the University over the years to ask about the Women's Center, but that others at the university have not seen a need for it. DiLapi added that Temple administrators are concerned about acquaintance rape, but they "are not geared up for this."

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