Following the assault that took place Sunday evening, Feb. 1, The Picket has provided live, comprehensive coverage of the investigation taking place and the administrative, student and community response.
The subject of assault, sexual or otherwise, is always a difficult subject to approach, especially in this case, in which the perpetrator is still not in custody.
There are many factors that must be taken into consideration when we at The Picket decide what we will publish, such as the safety of the victim/survivor, the integrity of the police’s investigation and the community’s right to information. In respect to these considerations, we have decided to protect the identity of the woman who was assaulted.
While a controversial move to some, we have decided to publish our news editor Todd Bowman’s interview with the woman (https://supicket.com/breaking-news/2015/02/02/exclusive-shepherd-student-recounts-attempted-rape/) because the safety of the student body and community members is our priority and any we will exercise our First Amendment rights to publish any information that contributes to that safety.
It is my hope that The Picket can continue to effectively work with the police and Shepherd administration to keep the community informed in these troubling times.
- Nicholas McDill, editor in chief
Follow Nicholas on Twitter @NicholasMcDill