An unusual campus incident has spurred a debate about the merit of filing complaints to Ball State University Police.
Three women were victimized in separate incidents, having their behinds grabbed by a passing bicyclist early Wednesday morning near the Amelia T. Wood Health Center. Two of the victims decided to file police reports.
Reactions to our story at bsudailynews.com have been all over the place. Some said the women want attention or overreacted. Others said the police were right to issue an alert to the campus because this is a serious matter.
The reports have also raised the debate over what is considered battery or if these actions could be considered sexual battery.
Grabbing a person in this way meets the battery definition in the Indiana Criminal Code, a Class C misdemeanor. The statute says battery occurs when "A person who knowingly or intentionally touches another person in a rude, insolent, or angry manner..."
If the bicyclist had threatened the women while grabbing them, it could have been considered sexual battery, a Class D felony.
Case reports indicate the man will be charged with battery.
While no one was injured and people laugh about the bottom grabbings, it's not something to take lightly.
In today's society, women still have to be concerned for their safety. Who can say that this man on the bicycle won't escalate from this incident?
Good for the women for reporting this crime before something else happens.
Just to show the juvenile nature of some members of the Ball State community, within a few hours of the reports, a Facebook group for "The Ball State Ass Slapper" began making the rounds. As of midnight, the group had more than 3,600 fans.
Some commenters on our Web site said things like this are a part of college, that maybe the women were dressed provocatively and that men are persecuted enough.
None of those reasons, nor any reason, gives someone the right to touch another person inappropriately or without permission.
This may be a man who just wanted the attention. Regardless, it has to and should be taken seriously.
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