Police weigh course of action in false assault claim
Barbara Beaser
Posted on: 3/4/10 Section: News
The woman who claimed she was attacked before recanting her story last fall may face criminal charges and may be responsible for restitution, according to a high-ranking official from the administration.
"Filing a false police report is a crime, and one that PCC cannot simply ignore. The decision as to whether to file a criminal complaint lies with the District Attorney," said Rick Van Pelt, interim vice president of administrative services.
The woman, a former PCC student, told police in October that she was walking down Tennis Hill Drive when she was pushed against a wall by a man in a hooded sweatshirt and told not to yell. She told police she was able to escape after a brief struggle.
A week after the woman reported being attacked, she recanted her story and told police that she had fabricated the incident, according to a campus-wide email sent from PCC President Lisa Sugimoto.
"We spent a lot of time and manpower on that," said Lt. Brad Young of the PCC police department.
Through a civil lawsuit, restitution may be sought if the college decides to try and cover losses from the incident.
"PCC spent its resources tracking down and investigating an issue that turned out to be fabricated. In the process, we suffered losses. We would have to evaluate the value of the losses to make a judgment as to whether we seek restitution," Van Pelt said.
Questions surrounding the incident have gone unanswered for months, due to the investigation into the alleged attack and the subsequent investigation of the possible false police report, the police said.
"The investigation as to whether her initial claims were false is closed. They were definitely false. However, the issues surrounding our losses is not closed," said Van Pelt.
The woman was advised to seek psychological help, according to Young, but it is not known if she has.
There are still some things to look into, according to Police Chief Peter Michael.
"The potential for the charges are still there, but that's part of the follow up that we have to do," said Michael. "Whether or not she responded to our advice and we're still looking into that."
Van Pelt emphasized that no final decision has been made yet.
"The D.A. is the person who will decide whether criminal charges are filed. As to whether we seek restitution, several people in the Administration will likely consult with one another to make that call," Van Pelt said.
"Filing a false police report is a crime, and one that PCC cannot simply ignore. The decision as to whether to file a criminal complaint lies with the District Attorney," said Rick Van Pelt, interim vice president of administrative services.
The woman, a former PCC student, told police in October that she was walking down Tennis Hill Drive when she was pushed against a wall by a man in a hooded sweatshirt and told not to yell. She told police she was able to escape after a brief struggle.
A week after the woman reported being attacked, she recanted her story and told police that she had fabricated the incident, according to a campus-wide email sent from PCC President Lisa Sugimoto.
"We spent a lot of time and manpower on that," said Lt. Brad Young of the PCC police department.
Through a civil lawsuit, restitution may be sought if the college decides to try and cover losses from the incident.
"PCC spent its resources tracking down and investigating an issue that turned out to be fabricated. In the process, we suffered losses. We would have to evaluate the value of the losses to make a judgment as to whether we seek restitution," Van Pelt said.
Questions surrounding the incident have gone unanswered for months, due to the investigation into the alleged attack and the subsequent investigation of the possible false police report, the police said.
"The investigation as to whether her initial claims were false is closed. They were definitely false. However, the issues surrounding our losses is not closed," said Van Pelt.
The woman was advised to seek psychological help, according to Young, but it is not known if she has.
There are still some things to look into, according to Police Chief Peter Michael.
"The potential for the charges are still there, but that's part of the follow up that we have to do," said Michael. "Whether or not she responded to our advice and we're still looking into that."
Van Pelt emphasized that no final decision has been made yet.
"The D.A. is the person who will decide whether criminal charges are filed. As to whether we seek restitution, several people in the Administration will likely consult with one another to make that call," Van Pelt said.
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