Duke Alert issued after female student reports being sexually assaulted in Central Campus common room

A female student reported being sexually assaulted early Thursday morning in a Central Campus apartment building common room. 

A Duke Alert was issued 5:21 a.m. Thursday morning for the incident that was reported to have happened in a Pace Street common room between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m, a few hours after the incident reportedly occurred. 

"This horrific act is a violation against everyone in the Duke community," Dean of Students Sue Wasiolek wrote in an email to students Thursday afternoon. "Many of us are shaken by what has happened and it is important that we continue to provide support to each other."

According to the alert, the student was awakened by a white male while she was sleeping. He threatened her with a knife and she was "forced to have sex," the alert said. The male was white with short brown hair and a "perfume smell," according to the alert. 

Wasiolek added that he was described as being around 25 years old.

Duke University Police Department has added more Central Campus security officers and launched an investigation with other law enforcement agencies, she wrote in the email. Wasiolek also reminded students of resources available to them on campus such as the Women's Center, DukeReach and Counseling and Psychological Services.

Anyone with information about the incident should call Duke Police at 919-684-2444, according to the alert.

According to Duke's most recent annual Clery Act report, there were two sexual assaults on campus during the 2017-2018 school year, down from five the year before. Earlier this semester, two female students reported being inappropriately touched by a man, who was apprehended, along Campus Drive.