South Florida Spill gang rape case ‘no longer active’

Authorities were unable to confirm DNA samples and the victim, a Florida Atlantic student, was unable to identify any of the suspects.

Max+Jackson+%7C+former+Staff+Photographer

Max Jackson | former Staff Photographer

Emily Bloch, Editor in Chief

Just shy of a year since a Florida Atlantic student said she was gang raped at an underground party near campus, and days until the party is about to happen again, the Boca Raton Police Department have labeled the case as “no longer active.”

The alleged rape occurred in the morning hours of April 12, 2015 at a party called the South Florida Spill — an annual all-you-can-drink party that a University Press investigation revealed  was tied to a fraternity.

The South Florida Spill happened at the Wayne Barton Study Center, about 2 miles from the Boca Raton campus and served as an after party for the school’s Sunshine State Classic, an annual step dancing competition.

The party was hosted by Sadiddy Entertainment, a registered LLC. The UP revealed that three of Sadiddy Entertainment’s four officers became members of FAU’s Omega Psi Phi chapter within the last five years.

After the party, the police report stated that the victim, who has not been named, returned to FAU’s Parliament Hall — a freshmen-only residence hall. She was later transported to Boca Raton Regional Hospital for evaluation.

According to the police report, the victim told her housing resident assistant that “she had been raped by four or five black males [and] believes that each one of the males were members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, commonly referred to as Q dogs.” The report continued, “Several chapters of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity from around the U.S. were in attendance.”

At the hospital, the victim told her nurse that four or five men “placed the stage curtain over her head before committing the battery.”

The victim told the police that “she was very drunk from consuming too much liquor and would not be able to positively identify the male suspects.” In addition, the police report said the crime lab results were inconclusive, with the sperm sample not being matched or identified, as of March 28.

On Tuesday, April 5, the case was deemed as inactive.

This news comes the same week as FAU’s Sexual Assault Awareness Week, hosted by Student Government and championing the national campaign, It’s On Us.

The South Florida Spill will take place on Saturday, April 9, following the on-campus step show.

But instead of happening at the Wayne Barton Center like it has for the past four years, it will be at Club Cinema. The Pompano Beach nightclub is infamous for its police raids and underage drinking and has been called a “nuisance” by the city.

Check back with the University Press for more updates.
Emily Bloch is the editor in chief of the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet her @emdrums.

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