The University of Delaware Police Department (UDPD) has charged a 20-year-old Philadelphia man in connection with a dating violence incident that occurred early Thursday morning, Oct. 20, in an Independence residence hall.

Sameer Ruffin of Philadelphia, who is not a UD student, was immediately taken into custody by UD Police and has been charged with strangulation, unlawful imprisonment, terroristic threatening and offensive touching. He also has been banned from the campus. The victim, who is a student, was taken to Christiana Hospital for treatment and has received information about support resources.

Resources

The University takes all incidents of dating violence seriously. Members of the UD community are encouraged to report any incidents of sexual misconduct, harassment or discrimination.

Information about reporting an incident, including sexual misconduct, and accessing support services is available online. To contact an SOS Victim Advocate, call the UD Helpline 24/7/365 at 302-831-1001 and press 1. The clinician will check to make sure the caller is safe, then take a first name and phone number and have an advocate call back within 10 minutes. The University also has resources for survivors of intimate partner violence.

Members of the community are reminded to be vigilant. Use the blue light phones and take advantage of the safety aids offered by the LiveSafe app at www.udel.edu/police/livesafe.  

For additional information on safety and wellness topics at UD, visit www.udel.edu/students/safety/.

Subscribe to receive a UD Crime Update email whenever an article about a police investigation is posted on UDaily.