A lengthy post on the popular Boston College Confessions Facebook page on Tuesday afternoon drew attention and concern from the BC community.
The anonymous post, No. 7122 on the page, detailed three alleged occasions of nonconsensual sexual intercourse between the poster and unconscious or inebriated female BC students. “She will never know what I did to her,” read a section toward the end. “At first this troubled me, but eventually, I became obsessed and almost proud of it. The thought clouded me [sic] head… could I get away with it again?”
Students reacted strongly in the comments, calling the post’s author “sick,” a “serial rapist,” and calling for BCPD to investigate the matter. A Facebook event, “A Response to Boston College Confession #7122,” was also formed. “We view this as an opportunity to have a wider discussion about sexual assault on campus,” read the event description. “The reality is that 1 in 4 women will be a victim of rape or attempted rape. We as students have the ability to stop these crimes from ever being attempted, in many cases, if we all are educated on the realities of sexual assault and ways to prevent it.” The administrators of the event, which will be held at 7 p.m. today in Cushing 001, called students to turn their “discontent into positive action.”
According to the page, today’s event will feature a panel of members from BCPD, the Bystander Intervention Program, and “other relevant student organizations,” and will conclude with a discussion about the ways in which the University and BC students handle sexual assault.
Three hours after the submission was posted on the Boston College Confessions page, the administrators of the page commented. “For those wondering, the police have already been notified and all the information we have on the submission has been turned over to them,” the comment read.
Early Wednesday morning, the Dean of Students Office released an update on the situation.
“Boston College officials were alerted to this concerning posting late yesterday afternoon,” said Dean of Students Paul Chebator in an email Wednesday morning. He stressed that the Facebook page, which is moderated by students, is unaffiliated with the University.
“Student Affairs and BC Police conferred and commenced an investigation,” Chebator said. “[Tuesday] evening a student came in on his own to BCPD and admitted that the entire post was a hoax. The student appeared quite remorseful, nevertheless, this matter will continue to be investigated and the student will be referred to the Student Conduct System for resolution of this matter.”
The post was removed from the Facebook page on Wednesday evening.
Shortly before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Chebator sent out an email to the entire student body regarding the matter. “While there is a continuing investigation into this matter with the BC Police and the Dean’s Office, the student has been referred to the Student Conduct System to face appropriate disciplinary sanctions,” the email read. “We take very seriously all allegations of sexual assault. Accordingly, it is important for students to know that Boston College has a network of support for survivors of sexual assault and for students who care for those who may be survivors.”
The email then listed resources for students. BC’s comprehensive resource for information on sexual assault care, response, and education can be accessed at www.bc.edu/sar. In addition, the BC Sexual Assault Network (SANet) is a 24/7 private hotline for anyone affected by sexual violence, and can be reached by calling 617-552-2211.
