In light of the recent sexual assault charges against three UBC Thunderbird Football alumni, the AMS would like to express our unwavering support to the survivor and to all survivors of sexualized violence on and off campus. Incidents like this are all too frequent and together we must continue to work toward creating a culture of consent.
The AMS is aware the three former athletes had volunteered for AMS Safewalk. We want to assure everyone that the assault did not take place during a Safewalk call and the three were no longer volunteers in 2018, when the assault took place. We also want to emphasize that should anyone feel unsafe traveling on campus alone after dark, Safewalk is still the right service to use.
All Safewalk teams work in pairs and are co-ed as often as possible. Teams maintain regular communication with the shift supervisor who tracks each call to ensure timely completion. Should a call take longer than anticipated or an incident arise, the shift supervisor can escalate to the Safewalk Coordinator, UBC Campus Security or, if required, calling emergency services.
The safety and wellbeing of the UBC community is a top priority for the AMS and we want everyone who accesses our services to feel comfortable doing so.
If you or anyone you know has been impacted by sexualized violence there are many support services available for survivors both on and off campus:
• AMS Sexual Assault Support Centre
• UBC Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Office
• Sexual Assault Service at BC Women’s and UBC Hospital
• WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre
If you need a Safewalk Team to travel with you on campus after dark please visit: www.ams.ubc.ca/safewalk
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