{ "id": "2024-09-25-university-of-new-hampshire-residence-hall-drugging-sexual-assault", "slug": "university-of-new-hampshire-residence-hall-drugging-sexual-assault-2024-09-25", "institution": { "name": "University of New Hampshire", "shortName": "UNH", "state": "NH", "type": "public-r1", "alertSystemName": "UNH Alert", "enrollment": 15000 }, "incident": { "date": "2024-09-25", "type": "sexual-assault", "cleryCategory": "timely-warning", "headline": "Sexual assault report, September 25, 2024", "summary": "After two students reported drugged drinks and a third reported being drugged and sexually assaulted, the University of New Hampshire issued a timely warning via text and email on September 25, 2024 about alleged drugging and sexual assault on its Durham campus. UNH Police Chief Paul Dean said that once a [third report came in he felt 'the community needed to know,'](https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/news/unh-police-investigate-3-sexual-assault-drugging-allegations/162239/) framing the [Clery Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clery_Act) decision around an emerging pattern.", "resolution": "under-investigation" }, "alerts": [ { "sequence": 1, "type": "initial", "timestampApprox": "On or about September 25, 2024", "channel": "sms", "verbatimText": "", "isVerbatimConfirmed": false, "sourceUrl": "https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/news/unh-police-investigate-3-sexual-assault-drugging-allegations/162239/", "sourceDescription": "Campus Safety Magazine (reconstructed from reporting on the UNH Alert)", "annotations": [] }, { "sequence": 2, "type": "initial", "channel": "email", "verbatimText": " University Police Department\n 18 Waterworks Road\n Durham, NH 03824-3515\n V: 603.862.1427\n F: 603.862.1966\n TTY: 7.1.1 (Relay NH)\n www.unh.edu/upd\n\n\n\n\nThis information is being released in accordance with the federal Jeanne Clery\nDisclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, commonly\nknown as the Clery Act. The purpose of the Clery Act is to share this information with\nyou so you may make informed decisions for your safety and the safety of others and\nwill aid in the prevention of similar crimes from occurring.\nOn Monday, September 24, 2024, the UNH Police took a report of a sexual assault that\noccurred at some time on Friday, September 20, 2024, between 10:30 pm and\nSaturday, September 21, 2024, 3:00 am in the suspect's residence hall located on the\nUniversity of New Hampshire, Durham Campus. The impacted party described possibly\nhaving their drink drugged during the incident. The suspect and impacted party were\nknown to each other.\nThe UNH Police received a second report on Monday, September 24, 2024, from an\nimpacted party who stated the same suspect may have drugged them as well on\nThursday, September 19, 2024, in the evening.\nBoth incidents are being investigated by the UNH Police Department and other\nadministrative offices on campus.\n\nSurvivors are never responsible for the offenders’ behavior.\n\nSafety Tips\n\n • Alcohol and drugs are often used to create vulnerability to sexual assault. Studies of\n sexual assault incidents show a high correlation between acquaintance rape and\n drug/alcohol usage. Be alert to people pressuring you or others to use alcohol or other\n drugs.\n • Familiarize yourself with the blue phones located across campus in case you need to\n use one.\n • If you feel unsafe on campus, call UNH Police at 603-862-1212 for a safety escort or\n other assistance.\n • Trust your instincts. If you feel uneasy or sense something is wrong, do what you can to\n get out of the situation or call 911 for assistance.\n\nReporting options & Resources\n • UNH Police Department- 911 or to report online go to RAVE guardian/UsafeUS.\n • Civil Rights and Equity Office online reporting. Resources sexual misconduct here\n • Confidential Resources The SHARPP Center\n\n\n\n “A CALEA & IACLEA Accredited Law Enforcement Agency”\n", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.unh.edu/upd/sites/default/files/media/2024-09/timely-warning-sept-25-2024.pdf", "sourceDescription": "UNH UPD timely warning PDF September 25, 2024 11:22 a.m.", "annotations": [ "Dual independent PDF fetch 2026-08-24 (146069-byte match). pdftotext -layout; form-feed stripped. Letterhead and CALEA footer kept.", "This is the official Clery timely-warning email, not the UNH Alert SMS in sequence 1." ], "characterCount": 2880, "timestampApprox": "Original message sent September 25, 2024 at 11:22am per the 3:30pm update PDF" }, { "sequence": 3, "type": "update", "channel": "email", "verbatimText": " University Police Department\n 18 Waterworks Road\n Durham, NH 03824-3515\n V: 603.862.1427\n F: 603.862.1966\n TTY: 7.1.1 (Relay NH)\n www.unh.edu/upd\n\n\n\nTimely Warning update September 25, 2024 at 3:30pm:\nAt this time the University of New Hampshire Police has identified a person of interest in\nthe sexual assault case reported yesterday and announced to the community earlier\ntoday. The investigation is ongoing; at this time, we are unable to share further\ninformation with the public to protect the integrity of the investigation and protect those\nwho have been impacted.\nIf you have any information that you feel is pertinent to the case, please reach out to the\nInvestigations unit at the UNH Police Department by calling 603-862-1427.\nOriginal Message Sent September 25, 2024 at 11:22am:\nOn Monday, September 24, 2024, the UNH Police took a report of a sexual assault that\noccurred at some time on Friday, September 20, 2024, between 10:30 pm and\nSaturday, September 21, 2024, 3:00 am in the suspect's residence hall located on the\nUniversity of New Hampshire, Durham Campus. The impacted party described possibly\nhaving their drink drugged during the incident. The suspect and impacted party were\nknown to each other.\nThe UNH Police received a second report on Monday, September 24, 2024, from an\nimpacted party who stated the same suspect may have drugged them as well on\nThursday, September 19, 2024, in the evening.\nBoth incidents are being investigated by the UNH Police Department and other\nadministrative offices on campus.\n\nSurvivors are never responsible for the offenders’ behavior.\n\nSafety Tips\n • Familiarize yourself with the blue phones located across campus in case you\n need to use one.\n • If you feel unsafe, call 603-862-1212 for a safety escort.\n • Trust your instincts. If you feel uneasy or sense something is wrong, do what you\n can to get out of the situation or call 911 for assistance.\nReporting options & Resources\n • UNH Police Department- 911 or to report online go to RAVE guardian/UsafeUS.\n • Civil Rights and Equity Office online reporting. Resources sexual misconduct\n here\n • Confidential Resources The SHARPP Center\n\n\n “A CALEA & IACLEA Accredited Law Enforcement Agency”\n", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "confidence": "high", "sourceUrl": "https://www.unh.edu/upd/sites/default/files/media/2024-09/update-timely-warning-sept-25-2024.pdf", "sourceDescription": "UNH UPD timely warning update PDF September 25, 2024 3:30 p.m.", "annotations": [ "Dual independent PDF fetch 2026-08-24 (145753-byte match). pdftotext -layout; form-feed stripped.", "Update identifies a person of interest; original 11:22 a.m. body is reprinted in this product." ], "characterCount": 2755, "timestampApprox": "Timely Warning update September 25, 2024 at 3:30pm" } ], "context": "The University of New Hampshire's September 2024 timely warning is unusually well documented in the public record because Police Chief Paul Dean spoke openly about the decision to send it. As [Campus Safety Magazine reported](https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/news/unh-police-investigate-3-sexual-assault-drugging-allegations/162239/), two students reported drugged drinks and a third reported being drugged and sexually assaulted, with the alleged assault occurring in a residence hall on the Durham campus between the night of September 20 and the early morning of September 21, 2024. Dean said that once the reports reached three he 'felt really that the community needed to know', a candid window into how the [Clery Act's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clery_Act) 'serious or continuing threat' standard is applied in real time. The case was also covered by the [Boston Globe](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/09/26/metro/unh-spiked-drinks/), [Boston.com](https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2024/09/26/unh-police-investigating-alleged-drugging-sexual-assault-incidents/), and [InDepthNH](https://indepthnh.org/2024/09/25/unh-police-investigating-reports-of-sexual-assault-in-a-residence-hall-and-drugs-in-drinks/). Reporting noted UNH had identified a student person of interest, but the community warning withheld that identity, a deliberate choice that protected both the investigation and, indirectly, the survivors. The warning routed recipients to SHARPP, UNH's confidential advocacy program, alongside the police number.", "keyFindings": [ "A documented chief's-rationale case: Paul Dean said a third report was the point at which 'the community needed to know'", "The alert separated the police report line from the confidential SHARPP advocacy line, giving survivors a non-police option", "Prevention guidance was framed as situational awareness rather than blame for the reported assault", "UNH withheld an identified person of interest from the public warning, protecting the investigation and survivors" ], "sources": [ { "title": "UNH Police Investigate 3 Sexual Assault, Drugging Allegations - Campus Safety Magazine", "url": "https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/news/unh-police-investigate-3-sexual-assault-drugging-allegations/162239/", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "UNH police investigate three sexual assault and drugging reports - Boston Globe", "url": "https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/09/26/metro/unh-spiked-drinks/", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "UNH Police Investigate Reports of Sex Assault in a Residence Hall, and Drugs in Drinks - InDepthNH", "url": "https://indepthnh.org/2024/09/25/unh-police-investigating-reports-of-sexual-assault-in-a-residence-hall-and-drugs-in-drinks/", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "UNH UPD timely warning PDF September 25, 2024", "url": "https://www.unh.edu/upd/sites/default/files/media/2024-09/timely-warning-sept-25-2024.pdf", "type": "official-archive", "accessDate": "2026-08-24", "archiveUrl": null, "archiveNotes": "SPN 523 at capture 2026-08-24; archive.org save endpoint returned HTTP 523" }, { "title": "UNH UPD timely warning update PDF September 25, 2024 3:30 p.m.", "url": "https://www.unh.edu/upd/sites/default/files/media/2024-09/update-timely-warning-sept-25-2024.pdf", "type": "official-archive", "accessDate": "2026-08-24", "archiveUrl": null, "archiveNotes": "SPN 523 at capture 2026-08-24; archive.org save endpoint returned HTTP 523" } ], "confidence": "high", "tags": [ "sexual-assault", "timely-warning", "new-hampshire", "unh", "drugging", "drink-tampering", "trauma-informed", "public-r1" ], "dateAdded": "2026-05-28", "lastUpdated": "2026-08-24", "addedBy": "ingestion" }