Crime & Safety
UNH Student Made Up Assault Story, Police Say
A female student said she was assaulted by two male students, but later recanted the story, police said.
University of New Hampshire police on Friday said a female student made up a story about how she was assaulted by two male students.
The woman said on Wednesday, the students grabbed her by wrist and tried to take her wallet near Rudman Hall on Academic Way. She said she fought off the pair, hitting one in the face.
"The young woman recanted her story, and although I am aware of circumstances that would explain why she fabricated the incident, the university is reviewing all options including bringing criminal charges and other administrative sanctions," said UNH Police Chief Paul Dean in a statement."
After the woman reported the incident, police sent out notifications to students and local media in compliance with federal regulations that require institutions to quickly publicize crimes like attempted robbery.
"We work hard to create as safe an environment as possible for this community and false reports like this tend to elevate what should be a reasonable and appropriate level of caution to an unnecessary level of fear for our students, their families, and for the faculty, staff and other community members at UNH," Dean said.
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