NIU’s investigation into a sexual assault that occurred at a fraternity party last week raises some serious questions about the university’s handling of such incidents.

The victim, a member of Lambda Chi Alpha’s little sisters, was treated at the University Health Service Saturday after having been assaulted at a fraternity party the night before.

But NIU’s Judicial Office was not told about the assault until Thursday, almost a week later. Jon Dalton, vice president for student affairs, said, “There was some communication breakdown.” He said the procedure of going through the Sexual Assault Response Team involves a number of offices being informed of an incident. Why must so many offices be informed before the office that can do something about an assault is told?

Sexual assault is a violent, abhorrent crime that should not be tolerated. Reports of sexual assaults should not be thrown from office to office before something is done.

The fraternity did at least ask the member accused of the rape to leave the house, but Lambda Chi Alpha and other greek organizations should take steps to prevent assaults. Parties in which underage people get drunk often lead to sexual assaults.

NIU must improve its response to these incidents. When five Sigma Chi’s performed a skit deemed racially offensive, the entire fraternity immediately was suspended without any hearing. But when a Lambda Chi member is accused of sexual assault, it is not even reported by NIU officials until almost a week later.

Due process should be preserved, but an investigation that starts nearly a week late is likely to be more difficult.

Sexual assaults are likely to continue as long as offenders know they can get away with it. Victims should be encouraged to report such incidents to the appropriate police agency so that criminal charges can be filed. Sexual assaults are felony crimes and should be handled as such.

Victims, however, are reluctant to pursue such charges because of potential embarrassment from the publicity surrounding the event. Sexual assault cases should be reported, and most newspapers, including The Northern Star, withhold the names of victims of violent crimes. Sexual assault is about as violent a crime as there is.