Legislation Would Require Maryland Colleges to Publicly Report Sexual Assaults

A bill has been introduced in the Maryland state legislature calling for colleges and universities in the state to publicly report all incidents of sexual assault on their campuses.

The legislation also would require that all colleges and universities have a victim’s advocate on campus who would provide confidential aid and assistance to victims of sexual assault.

The author of the legislation, Jon Cardin, a Democrat from Baltimore County who is a candidate for state attorney general, said in a statement, “The lack of substantial action on this outrageous epidemic of sexual assault represents a legal and moral failure on multiple levels. That our colleges and universities are reporting significantly lower numbers than all other surveys should raise an eyebrow to anyone concerned about student safety. Colleges and universities have a duty to know exactly how safe their campuses are and to make this information public as well. When you send your kid off to college, you and your child deserve to know how safe their campus is.”