Female student, 25, alleges sexual assault by state troopers

by Olivia Tattory

A 25-year-old woman who told police she was sexually assaulted at a Ewing home on Dec. 7 by one or more off-duty New Jersey state troopers has been described by news outlets, without attribution, as a Rider student.

While the University has not officially confirmed or denied the woman’s student status, University spokesperson Dan Higgins said, “If you’ve seen other [newspapers], they have reported that she’s a Rider student. I would say that you could feel pretty comfortable reporting that she is.”

Seven state troopers have been suspended with pay as authorities continue to investigate the accusation, said Charles Sciarra, an attorney representing one of the troopers. He described the evening’s events as “consensual adult activities,” the Associated Press reported.

According to published reports, the woman met the troopers at the KatManDu nightclub in Trenton, after which she and a friend agreed to return to the home of one of the troopers. No criminal charges have been filed yet.

The case was made public in a brief news release by Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office on Dec. 10. Since then, Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini Jr. has withdrawn from the case after calling it “a nightmare.” The case has been transferred to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.