Essi Auguste Virtanen | News Editor
Sept. 19, 2016; 5 p.m.

A sexual assault reported last week is still being investigated, and authorities have provided few details.

One week after Lindenwood University sent out in an email blast to students, officials were still declining to say whether the alleged assault happened in campus housing or whether the victim, a woman, is a Lindenwood student.

The assault happened on Cullom Drive, about 4 a.m. Sept. 18, the email said. The location is approximately five minutes from Lindenwood’s main campus.

John Bowman, director of Public Safety and Security, said last week that he could not comment, saying it was “an active investigation.”

Lt. Chad Fisk of the St. Charles Police Department said that it was unclear whether the victim is a student at Lindenwood. He also said that he did not know her age, and he was not sure whether the property where the alleged assault happened is Lindenwood owned.

However, a check of the street shows that the majority of dwellings are campus housing.

The log for police calls at the department lists the investigation as a first-degree sexual assault. Fisk said he couldn’t provide any additional information.

The victim contacted the St. Charles Police Department about the assault, the email said. Lindenwood security was notified about the incident around 1:45 p.m. Monday.

The suspect’s description was said to be “unknown at this time.”

Anyone with information about the assault is asked to contact the St. Charles City Police Department at 636-949-3300 or the Office of Public Safety & Security at 636-949-4911.

According to the email, in a situation of sexual assault, the first priority is to get to a safe place and report the sexual assault to the St. Charles Police Department by calling 911 and to Lindenwood Public Safety & Security. The email also included a list of 13 crime prevention tips to keep students safe.

Time is a critical factor for evidence collection and preservation, the email states. The victim of a sexual assault should not shower, use sanitary products, use the restroom, change clothes, or touch anything the suspect may have touched.

A victim of sexual assault should seek medical attention at a hospital and may contact Lindenwood University Counseling Wellness Center at 636-949-4525 for additional resources.