By Laura Blenkinsop
Associate Photo Editor
The scars have healed but Mike Empey still doesn’t know why he was attacked with a knife while hanging out with his friends in Pitman Hall.
He’s just happy that his assailant has been banned from the building.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said. “It was an unprovoked attack.”
Empey was at a party in Pitman on Sept. 21 when, around midnight, a fellow first year stabbed him in the stomach and cut him in the neck with a kitchen knife.
The assault occurred during a dispute over Empey’s backpack.
Security, police and EMS arrived at the scene, however his injuries did not warrant serious medical attention.
“They were there quickly,” he said. “I’m satisfied with how they handled it and their ultimate decision, which was to remove her.”
When he went home for Thanksgiving, Empey had to reassure his parents that he was safe and security had handled the situation well. He’s glad security didn’t issue an alert, which is standard practice when a student is attacked.
Julia Lewis, the administrator who oversees security at Ryerson, agrees. “Based on the circumstances it did not meet the criteria for posting a security watch.”
She added that security watches, which are distributed through e-mail or posted on bulletins, are usually produced when there is a risk to students.
She said that residences are safe and that this is the most serious incident that she has seen in her 17 years at the school.
York University, which experienced two rapes in their residences last month immediately released information on the incidents.
Keith Marnoch, a York spokesperson, said he understands Ryerson’s decision not to post a security alert.
“There’s no cookie-cutter way to do this,” he said. “We look at every situation individually.”
The assailant and her lawyer declined to comment on the incident, which is under police investigation.
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