The State : ‘Date Rape’ Denounced

The chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, where four football players are alleged to have attacked a woman, has issued a strong denunciation of “date rape” in an appeal mailed directly to 31,000 students. Chancellor Ira Michael Heyman wrote that acquaintance rape “degrades its victims, our campus community and society at large.” The letter contained a brochure defining acquaintance rape as “sexual intercourse undertaken by a friend or acquaintance without the consent of the woman.” It also lists ways to avoid circumstances that might lead to rape and places to call for help. “I can’t remember anything like this in recent years,” campus spokesman Ray Colvig said. “It serves to point out that the chancellor considers the issue to be extraordinary.” Campus police say 11 rapes were reported in 1986, double the previous year’s figures.