CONTENT WARNING: This story discusses sexual content.

Editor’s Note: Content has been changed to clarify some information.

The University Police Department is investigating four reports of rape filed since the beginning of September.

All four incidents occurred in residence halls on campus. Two of the reports were filed on Saturday, Sept. 9 and the other two on Monday, Oct. 9, according to police records.

The two September instances were a sexual misconduct between two students and a sexual assault, according to the UPD crime log.

In October, one incident happened in Weller Hall on Oct. 8 and the other in an unnamed residence hall on Oct. 7. 

All reports were individual, UPD Lt. Michael Lusk said.

Both October reports were sent to the state’s attorney’s office, according to Eastern’s crime log.

One of the people who reported she was raped was interviewed for this story. She will not be named in the story to protect her identity. 

The woman filed a report on Oct. 9 stating she had been raped between midnight and 4 a.m. on Oct. 7. 

On the night of Oct. 6, she and a group of friends went to a party and as the night went on her friends started to leave, until it was just her.

She regrets what she did, but she texted her ex while drunk to meet her outside her dorm at Andrews Hall. They were going to spend the night together, and while she was inebriated she looked for comfort in familiarity. 

She said he helped take care of her by making her food and giving her water and she was then going to go lay down to sleep. 

They both lay down and he then started to initiate unwelcome sexual advances, she said. 

She was very worn out and said no, but he ignored her and went ahead anyway. 

She didn’t physically fight back. 

She just accepted it, she said, because this wasn’t the first time this happened. 

That weekend, she had had enough; she said she was fed up with this happening to her.

So that Monday, she filed a report to UPD and then was taken to the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon to get a rape kit test done. 

She said she met her now ex-boyfriend on Sept. 19 when she was studying alongside friends outside South Quad. A man who was mutual friends with someone in the study circle came over and started to hit on her. 

What started as cheesy compliments evolved into persistent pushing for dinner and a movie. 

As this was potentially her first relationship, she put him off. The two added each other on Snapchat and life went on. 

That night during bible study on campus, he showed up. She didn’t tell him she planned to be there.

As the session went on, group members talked about why they love Jesus, and he said he doesn’t like religion and condemns it, she said. While the leader would continue the study, he was continuing to ask about whether or not the two could go on a date and watch a movie. 

This caused a slight disturbance, which was seen by the worship leader, so she decided to leave with him to stop the distractions. 

“If you say yes, maybe it would go away,” she said. 

The two went to his dorm, made food and then after he persuaded her it was OK in the eyes of the lord they hooked up. She said the first time was consensual, but it didn’t stay that way. 

From then on, he became forceful toward her.

The two officially started dating on Sept. 21.

He started to then introduce her as his future wife to friends and family, acted nice and sweet toward her and then shortly after she became obsessed with him, she said. 

She said while they were in the relationship she hated the “intimate” part, but she was worried if they weren’t dating it would be another girl.

“I would rather it happen to me, rather than to some other girl who couldn’t handle it,” she said. 

She realized to survive the relationship, she would have to change her mindset. 

“If I’m not going to romanticize it, I wouldn’t be able to endure it,” she said. 

While they dated, sex was an expected part of the relationship, she said. He would pressure her to have sex when she didn’t want to and coerce her into thinking it was her idea and she wanted it.

After a long day of classes, homework, church, and other college activities, she would be tired, but he would continuously probe at her for some action, no matter how late.

These interactions would be met with resistance from her, saying no. She said he would select times to apologize for his actions but then turn around and blame her for allowing him to do so. 

She said he would introduce a new element each time she was assaulted like choking, hitting and smacking. 

“When you are being choked you can’t consent,” she said. 

While in their relationship, he would embarrass her in front of friends by divulging intimate information and bragging about how good she was in bed. 

He would say things like “you wouldn’t believe the head she gives me” or “you wouldn’t believe it was her first time.” 

She described him as a chameleon, shifting his personality to blend in to best suit the situation. He would act bubbly, nice and funny in public, but when alone he would sometimes be rude and shameful toward others or her. 

The two dated for two and a half weeks, ending their relationship on Oct. 4. 

After reporting the incident to UPD on Oct. 9, she said it has had some lasting effects on her physically, emotionally and spiritually.

When she would be with her friend group a simple physical motion would cause her to jump.

She felt like she couldn’t return to church because of conflicting feelings of violating a belief she holds dear: no sex before marriage. 

After a few days and confessionals, she felt more comfortable to start coming back to church.

She said she expected her first time to be filled with unconditional love, not disdain and horror. 

T.J. Seputis contributed to this story.

Rob Le Cates can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].