A 19-year-old who identified himself as an international student was arrested and charged by police in connection to an alleged sexual assault at Durham College’s Oshawa campus on the first week of the fall semester.
A spokesperson for Durham College told True North in an email that the suspect has been trespassed from the campus.
“The safety and well-being of our campus community is of the utmost importance to DC,” the spokesperson said. “To support our campus community, well-being resources are always available. We also have a number of sexual violence supports and resources for students and employees.”
Police arrested, Ved Pratikbhai Patel, a resident of Oshawa, Ont. and charged with sexual assault and criminal harassment on Friday. Patel was released on a promise to appear before the court, according to a Durham Regional Police Service’s news release.
Patel is accused of groping a female after sitting next to the alleged victim on a bench on Aug. 28, 2024, while she waited for the bus in front of Durham College’s main building. According to the police report, the victim said Patel allegedly identified himself as an international student who was in the accounting program at the school.
After allegedly groping the victim, he then reportedly followed her onto the bus and attempted to sit with her, though she sat next to the bus driver for safety and was able to contact the police.
“Investigators identified the suspect and on Friday, September 13, 2024, took him into custody,” the news release said. “He was released on an Undertaking.”
The Ontario Court of Justice and the DRPS could not confirm with True North the conditions of Patel’s release or his scheduled court date.
The DRPS said they would not provide information or comment beyond what was in the news release.
One user on Reddit claimed to be a student at the shared Durham College and Ontario Tech University campus.
“I’m a student at Durham/UOIT. I plan on calling to ensure this loser isn’t on campus anymore. It would be cool if others called as well to add some weight to the situation,” she said. “This guy shouldn’t be at Durham anymore.”
The school’s policy against sexual violence outlines a commitment to respect the rights of and to “believe all who are affected by sexual violence.” It also outlines the right of individuals in the campus community to be free from any form of sexual violence.
The policy indicates that when reported, an accusation of sexual violence is internally investigated by the college, and any who are found to have committed an act of sexual violence is then held accountable “through a process that ensures procedural fairness.”
Police are asking anyone with cell phone, dashcam, surveillance footage, or information about the incident to contact D/Cst. Fitzgerald of the Special Victims Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5316.
Anonymous information can also be sent to Durham Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.durhamregionalcrimestoppers.ca, and tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.