SFU students frustrated by lack of information on recent sexual assault

A day after Burnaby RCMP announced a recent sexual assault at Simon Fraser University, students are looking for more information about the exact spot where it occurred.

Police say the assaulthappenedMonday night near a parking lot on Burnaby Mountain, but the exact location on campus, which is surrounded by woods on all sides, was withheld.

"There are a lot of parking lots, I walk through a lot of parking lotsand I'm always alone walking through them. I think they should release where it happens. It bothers me ... I'd like to know for my own safety," saidSaraGrunerud, an SFU student.

CBC attempted to speak with campus security about the assault's last locationbut received no response. A reporter was eventually referred to SFU Communications.

A spokesperson said SFU couldn't comment because of the RCMP investigation.The RCMP said itcouldn't provide more information, but washoping to be able to do so later.

"I don't personally havealocation. I have not been able to find the location," saidBurnabyRCMPStaff Sgt. JohnBuis.

"They had a building and a location, but it was fairly vague, so I want to get more specific."

More lights and Safe Walk services needed

The situation is in stark contrast to the University of British Columbia.

There, authorities have regularly reported the location of sexual assaults by strangers in news releases, and the campus has increased its security presence, lighting and advertising of its Safe Walkprogram in recent years.

• SFU Safe Walk program

"There's definitely a lot less security presence. UBC is pretty good about advertising itsSafe Walkprogram.Here, I've never heard about it," said SFU student DanetteJubinville.

"Itis better lit herein some areas, but down on the lower road, I don't think it's very well lit at all, and there's a lot more forested areas. I feel less safe on this campus than UBC. "

• UBC says security improvements in place for students
• UBC beefs up security for last day of school block party
• Revised UBC sexual assault policy calls for independent investigators

SFU has increased security on campussince the assault and the RCMP has had a more sustained presence, but the student union president hopes the incident will spur permanent improvements.

"In parking areas, lighting ... is quite spread out, so if there's any instances where lighting isn't available or the light bulb is broken, students are definitely impacted," said Larissa Chen, Simon Fraser Student Society president.

"Personally, what I would recommend is for there to be an audit done on all the lighting on campus, so they can identify spaces where light bulbs are broken, spaces that need to be lit and to fix that and add more infrastructure."

The investigation is still open, and anyone with information is asked to call theBurnaby RCMPat604-294-7922, or if you wish to remain anonymous, Crime Stoppersat 1-800-222-TIPS.

With files from Anita Bathe