Students grappling with the aftereffects of sexual assault have three options.

They can take the case to court, they can take the case to the Administrative Board, or they can do nothing.

And two female undergraduates who claimed they were sexually assaulted by acquaintances in the Freshman Dorms last fall have taken two divergent roads in dealing with it.

One chose to report it to the police a full three months after the incident. The other elected to remain silent.

In instances Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) Spokesman Steven G. Catalano said were not connected to one another, the first victim alleges she was sexually assaulted between the hours of 10 p.m. on Sept. 14 and 3:15 a.m. on Sept. 15, just three days after freshmen arrived in town for their first semester of college.

The victim did not file a report with HUPD until Dec. 21—the day before winter recess.

The second victim notified police of her sexual assault on Jan. 4, but decided not to go forward legally.

“The victim did not want to formally go on the record,” said Catalano,

HUPD police logs note that the date and time of the incident are unknown.

Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Director Susan B. Marine said most sexual assaults reported to her are instances of rape, defined as forced penetration, and that 80 percent of sexual assaults nationally are not committed by strangers.

“A lot of times, people don’t want to make a report right away because they are overwhelmed with what happened to [them], they’re dealing with their own feelings,” said Marine. “It’s relatively common for someone to make a police report several months after the assault actually happened.”

Although both victims knew their assailants, no arrests have been made.

FACING THE LAW

Whether or not to pursue the matter legally is a personal matter and entirely up to the victim, Catalano said.

“Some victims do not want to report to the police because they think a criminal suit will ensue, and that’s not the case at all,” said Catalano. “It’s just in case they want to pursue a criminal case later on. It does not mean it’s automatically going to go to court.”