Criminal sexual assault: 720 ILCS 5/11-1.20
The Illinois criminal-sexual-assault statute addresses sexual penetration in specified circumstances, including force or threat of force and circumstances in which a person knows the other person cannot understand the nature of the act or give knowing consent. Other provisions address particular relationships and ages. These are legal elements prosecutors must establish, not conclusions that follow automatically from a news account.
Read 720 ILCS 5/11-1.20 at the Illinois General Assembly (opens in a new tab)
Knowing consent and impaired awareness
Reports of impaired consciousness are relevant to questions of capacity. A witness description, alcohol consumption or a quotation from a video does not replace a legal determination. Illinois separately defines consent in its sexual-offense provisions; lack of physical resistance does not itself establish consent.
Read the statutory consent provision: 720 ILCS 5/11-1.70 (opens in a new tab)
Three processes, different questions
Criminal investigation
CPD investigates the reported offense. Arrest, filing a criminal charge and conviction are distinct steps. The university’s campus ban is not a criminal conviction. Sources: University of Chicago (opens in a new tab) · Associated Press (opens in a new tab)
University policy / Title IX
The university says students remain subject to its rules even though fraternities are not recognized student organizations. It announced a separate policy review. Whether a particular reporting route or policy applies depends on facts, affiliation and the current rules—not just the house’s proximity to campus. Sources: University of Chicago (opens in a new tab)
Civil litigation
A civil claim is separate from a criminal prosecution or campus procedure. No civil complaint in this Chicago case has been obtained by this archive. Do not infer a lawsuit or transfer a claim from another case.
Survivor services and rights
Medical care and forensic options
The Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act governs aspects of hospital care for sexual-assault survivors in Illinois. A medical examination can address health needs and discuss evidence collection. Ask the hospital or an advocate about choices, timing, consent and payment protections. Official SASETA text: 410 ILCS 70 (opens in a new tab)
Rights and information
The Sexual Assault Incident Procedure Act addresses law-enforcement procedures and survivor information. An advocate can help explain reporting choices and available rights without requiring disclosure to this website. Official Sexual Assault Incident Procedure Act: 725 ILCS 203 (opens in a new tab)
Campus-specific requirements
Illinois’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act is a separate framework from the criminal code. The complainant’s nonstudent status and the identified person’s lack of university affiliation require care when discussing available university procedures. Official act: 110 ILCS 155 (opens in a new tab) Sources: University of Chicago (opens in a new tab)
Practical support
You can ask an advocate about medical care, privacy, reporting and legal referrals. This site does not determine eligibility, promise a particular legal outcome or require a police report to view resources. Find survivor resources →