BYU amnesty policy in place for sexual assault victims

Brigham Young University’s amnesty clause for sexual assault survivors has officially been included in the school’s written sexual misconduct policy.

BYU came under fire three years ago for how it handled sexual assault cases after students reported they were investigated for possible honor code violations after reporting their assaults, including alcohol use, drug use or consensual sexual activity outside of marriage.

The amnesty clause, which was included in new policy guidelines adopted more than a year ago, states anyone reporting sexual misconduct will not be disciplined for honor code violations that happened at or near the time of sexual misconduct.

Student Life Vice President Janet Scharman announced its formal inclusion in the written policy Monday. She told The Daily Herald the school’s goal all along has been to “create an environment where sexual assault is eliminated on our campus.”