A female student was sexually assaulted early yesterday morning inside an apartment on the 4000 block of Spruce Street, prompting the Division of Public Safety to issue an alert late last night.
Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said that police believe the assault was a stranger-rape, but that she could not provide any additional details.
Philadelphia Police Sgt. Francis Erickson of the Special Victims Unit said the rape occurred at about 5 a.m. yesterday.
He said the victim was not injured but would not say if she had gone to a hospital for treatment. He would not release further details because police are in the preliminary stages of their investigation.
Penn and Philadelphia police have increased patrols and CCTV surveillance in the area of the assault.
While incidences of acquaintance-rape - in which the victim knows her attacker - have occurred occasionally on campus, Rush said it was only the third incident of stranger-rape that she can recall since she came to Penn in 1994.
Female students who live off-campus said they were concerned by the assault and were planning to take extra precautions in the coming days.
College senior Alisse Hauspurg, president of Delta Delta Delta, whose chapter house is located at 40th and Spruce streets, said the house plans to activate its alarm system and has alerted members to be on guard.
"We have the appropriate safety measures in place," she said. "There's no need to be overly paranoid."
When told of the rape, College junior Sarah Kaminetsky, who lives on 41st Street, said she was "shocked," adding that the incident makes her "want to be more careful about walking alone at night."
Police learned of the rape late Monday afternoon, Rush said.
The woman and her roommates are receiving support from the Division of Public Safety's Special Services department.
Rush urged students to be cautious, lock doors and use available safety services.
An e-mail circulated on several University listservs late last night that described a separate incident involving a security guard, but it appears that those two incidents are not related. DPS officials could not be reached as of press time to comment on that incident.
Anyone with additional information or who needs support services should call the DPS Special Services Department at 215-898-6600.
Staff writer Anthony Campisi contributed reporting to this article.
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