CLC says student made bogus sexual assault report

College of Lake County officials say a teenage female student has recanted her claim of being sexually attacked in a courtyard on the Grayslake campus last month.

Officials announced Friday that CLC police, through a continuing investigation, found inconsistencies between the supposed victim’s original statement and witness accounts.

After police reinterviewed the 18-year-old student, officials said, she admitted her report about the sex attack was false. CLC Police Chief Thomas Guenther said the teen signed a statement that the sexual assault did not occur and her report was a fabrication.

“It is very unfortunate that a false allegation was made,” Guenther said. “However, we take all reports of criminal activity very seriously, and it is very important to conduct a thorough investigation of any allegation. We now know that the assault did not happen, and we hope that students and the community will be reassured that the college remains a very safe place. ”

CLC police received a call from Highland Park Hospital on the night of Oct. 24 indicating a female student had reported she was sexually assaulted earlier in the day on the Grayslake campus. CLC police went to the hospital and interviewed the student following her treatment and immediately launched the probe that ended with her recantation this week.

Guenther said police learned why the teen filed the report, but he declined to elaborate. He said police will not pursue charges against her.

She had claimed the attack occurred in a courtyard near Willow Lake where students often gather. She provided information about a suspect’s physical features and clothing for the claim.