What Happens if I Report?
For information on the Colorado Victim Rights Act and the Federal Clery Act click here
For information on who to report interpersonal violence to on campus click here
Reporting an incident of interpersonal violence can be scary. Whether you are the victim/survivor or a friend or family member looking for help, we wanted to give you a sense of what happens once you report the incident to a number of different entities. Please use the links below to learn more about the different processes you could encounter.
What if I report to the police?
What happens if I report to the hospital?
What happens if I report to CU Denver campus officials?
What happens if I report to CCD campus officials?
What happens if I report to AHEC?
What if I report to the police? (Denver Police Department or other agency)
If your incident occurred on the Auraria Campus, you might consider reporting to the Auraria Police Department (APD). If you do this, APD will take the initial report from you. For interpersonal violence cases, APD then refers your case to the Denver PD (or another jurisdiction, if necessary) for further investigation. APD will refer you to resources that might be helpful. Under the Clery Act requirement, APD may report your crime information for statistical purposes, but your name and identifying information will not be on this report. APD will also notify The Phoenix Center at Auraria, who will follow up with you. APD will not pursue any conduct proceedings through the campus (such as a disciplinary hearing for the perpetrator if they are a student) unless you want them to. You are always able to remove yourself from the process if you so decide. Keep in mind, in certain situations, the APD is obligated to follow through once you report, but you do not need to be a part of the process if you change your mind.
If the incident occurred off campus, you will need to file a police report with the police agency where the crime occurred (for example, Denver Police Department, Lakewood Police Department). If you decide to report to a police department, a patrol officer or detective will meet with and you will be a asked a series of detailed questions about the incident. If a victim advocate is not provided, you have the right to request that one be provided to support you through this process.
If you wish, the police can also transport you to a hospital. At the hospital, you can get checked for injuries. In cases of sexual assault, a forensic medical exam (SANE or rape kit), can also be completed. Keep in mind however, there may be some costs associated with going to the hospital in addition to the forensic exam. In many cases, Crime Victims Compensation or other financial support services may be available to help cover these costs. Please make sure to consult with a Hospital Social Worker to find out your available options.
After talking with the initial officer, a report will then be filed, which will detail the incident. You will be assigned an investigator, who will be briefed on your case, but will most likely want to do a follow up interview the next day, called an “Order In”. During this, you may be asked to repeat many of the things you explained in your initial report and it is likely to be video taped too. At this point, your case will be assigned a case report number, which you should ask for. If the police are able to collect enough information and evidence for your case, it may move into the court system. Throughout this process, the DPD should provide you with a Police Victim’s Advocate, who can help to answer your questions about the process.
What happens if I report to the hospital?
If you decide to go the hospital after your assault, a variety of things may happen. First, a physical exam will be done to check on your general health and treat any physical injuries you may have. If you have been sexually assaulted, the staff might test for pregnancy. If you have been sexually assaulted, you may also be given a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) exam. This is a forensic examination to collect evidence. This is optional. Hospital staff will notify law enforcement in all cases of interpersonal violence. However, you do not have to speak to the officers if you do not wish. If you choose to do so, you may file a report and any evidence collected during the SANE exam will be crucial. You are allowed to stop the examination at any time or only do certain parts of it, if you wish. The forensic exam is free of charge, but there may be other costs associated with your physical exam and/or treatment. Whether or not you decide to report to the police or not, you may still get a free SANE exam (rape kit) completed. If you do not report to the police, your kit will be assigned a number (which you will be given). The kit will be kept for two years, and if at any time during that period, you decide to report to the police, the evidence from the kit will then be processed. If you never decide to report, the evidence from the kit will be destroyed.
What if I report to CU Denver?
If you decide to report an incident of Interpersonal Violence through CU Denver because the perpetrator is a CU Denver student, a student conduct violation investigation will be initiated through the Community Standards and Wellness Office (CSW, 303-556-2444). If it is a sexual misconduct complaint, then it will be done in conjunction with the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Officer who works in Human Resources (303-315-2724). If the perpetrator is a staff or faculty member from CU Denver then Community Standards and Wellness will not be involved because there will be no student code of conduct violation. In both cases (for sexual misconduct/harassment), the investigation is completed by the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Officer. For relationship violence or stalking, which office has responsibility for the investigation depends on the circumstances of the case. The CSW office will talk to you about what those options look like. If the perpetrator is not from CU Denver, contact the CU Denver Office of Community Standards and Wellness and they will connect you with the appropriate person to file a report through the perpetrator’s institution. To view the student code of conduct for CU Denver click here
The Equal Opportunity and Compliance Officer will be the singular investigator and they may ask you for an interview or written statement. If the perpetrator is a student and there is a hearing, you will eventually be given the option of speaking at the hearing, adjudicated by a CU Denver conduct officer from the CSW. The process will be kept as private as possible, but it will not be totally confidential. The accused perpetrator will be told who is accusing him/her.
When handling a case of interpersonal violence, the CU Denver Student Conduct process will not hold a survivor accountable for underage drinking. If the perpetrator is a staff or faculty member, the outcome of the case is referred to a panel of CU Denver community members for a decision. You may not know the outcome of the hearing or investigation in this case because it is a confidential part of the employee’s HR record. If the perpetrator is a student, the outcome of the investigation completed by the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Officer is referred back to Community Standards and Wellness. A student conduct hearing is then held and if found responsible, the perpetrator may face probation, suspension, and in extreme cases, dismissal from UCD. In the case of sexual assault, the institution is legally required to notify you of the outcome of the hearing.
CSW also has the ability to change class schedules or housing arrangements in Campus Village to make you feel safer. An on campus no-contact order can also be put in place by CSW. Remember, you are able to leave the process at any time. However, once CSW is made aware of a code of conduct violation, especially in the case of sexual misconduct, they have a legal duty to continue their investigation, with or without you and you can remove yourself from the process at any time if you wish.
In some cases, it may be possible to get assistance from CSW without having to initiate a formal student conduct violation investigation. You may call CSW and find out what other options may exist before reporting. You do not have to give identifying information during this call.
What happens if I report to CCD
Any student may make a complaint against another CCD student for misconduct or against a staff or faculty member. For student complaints you would contact Associate Dean for Student Life/Student Conduct Officer (303-556-8164) and for staff and faculty, you would call Human Resources (303-352-3037). If the perpetrator is not from CCD, it is still recommended you call the Associate Dean for Student Life/Student Conduct Officer and they will connect you with the appropriate person to file a report through the perpetrator’s institution.
For students, any complaint made against a student or staff and faculty member must be turned in through written form. The Associate Dean for Student Life/Student Conduct Officer will then notify the accused and investigate your complaint. If the complaint falls under Title IX, which is a Civil Rights Law prohibiting sex discrimination in education (sexual assault and sexual harassment are Title IX issues), then your complaint will be investigated by the Title IX Officer or their deputy. You will likely be asked to speak to the conduct officer or Title IX Coordinator. The meetings are always held in private. Your case is kept private, but not entirely confidential. The accused will be notified of the accusations against them, as well as the conduct officer and those allowed interviewed as part of the investigation. Sanctions if the alleged perpetrator is found responsible can range from warnings, probation, loss of privileges, fines, restitution, discretionary sanctions, suspension, or dismissal from the institution. If you would like to see what behaviors are prohibited by the Student Code of Conduct at CCD click here.
For employees, HR will conduct an investigation that will likely include talking to you and the perpetrator and any other people involved in the process. If the perpetrator is found to be in violation of workplace violence or sexual harassment policies, outcomes range from employment sanctions to being asked to leave the institution. You may not know the outcome of the hearing or investigation in the case of a staff or faculty perpetrator because it is a confidential part of the employee’s HR record. If the perpetrator is a student, in the case of sexual assault, the institution is legally required to notify you of the outcome of the hearing.
You may remove yourself from the process at any time, but the school has an obligation to continue with the case, with or without you.
What happens if I report to AHEC?
If you are experiencing interpersonal violence (IPV) perpetrated by an AHEC staff member, an AHEC Equal Opportunity (EO) Officer will be the person you can report to. If you choose to report an incident to them, they are then obligated to investigate, however it is important to remember that complete confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. Information shared will be limited and on a “need-to-know” basis. After reporting to the AHEC EO Officer, they will have a conversation with the offender to explain the complaint and that in a working environment they must be respectful and that certain behaviors are unacceptable. If the perpetrator is also a student the AHEC EO will contact the institution that the offender is from since most IPV cases will be a violation of the student code of conduct at all institutions. The AHEC EO will also inform the student perpetrator about the possible violation of their institutional student code of conduct.
AHEC only reports to the Auraria Police Department if there is a threatening situation, or a physical assault. If the situation is sexual harassment (jokes, comments, unwanted attention) it is not usually reported to Auraria Police Department unless you would like them to do so. With regards to sexual harassment, AHEC managers and supervisors must inform the AHEC EO about an incident that occurs. AHEC managers and supervisors are given discretion about how to handle the situation although this happens under the supervision of the AHEC EO to ensure the response is appropriate.
If you are a student, the AHEC EO will work with you to contact the institution you are from to ensure you receive support as the complaint is investigated through AHEC. All cases are investigated on their merits. If the perpetrator is an employee solely and not also a student at Auraria, you may not know the outcome of the hearing or investigation because it is a confidential part of the employee’s HR record. All AHEC employees can access the Phoenix Center at Auraria for support and advocacy through the process if they so choose. The PCA services are completely confidential.