ST. PAUL, Minn. (OSV News) — A 19-year-old man has been charged in connection with an alleged assault on campus at St. Catherine University, a Catholic university in St. Paul.
Keanu Labatte, of Granite Falls, has been charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of assault by strangulation and one count of threats of violence in connection with the incident, according to a criminal complaint.
The complaint states Labatte arrived on the all-female university’s campus Sept. 7 to visit his girlfriend of two months for the weekend.
The woman told police Labatte had found text messages, pictures and social media that angered him. The woman said he took her phone and kept it away from her, the complaint states. She told police she was threatened with a knife and physically and sexually assaulted from Sept. 7 through Sept. 9.
The woman told authorities that on the morning of Sept. 10, she convinced Labatte to let her leave her dorm room to get food in the cafeteria, according to the complaint. She went to the university’s security office to report she had been abused.
Physical and sexual assualt
Police found Labatte in the room and arrested him on probable cause of domestic assault and criminal sexual conduct.
The criminal complaint states the woman went to a nearby hospital; the examiner noted injuries consistent with physical and sexual assault.
Labatte made an initial court appearance Sept. 12. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 9.
The university declined to comment beyond a statement Sept. 14, citing student confidentiality and the investigation.
“It is our policy at St. Catherine University not to issue any comment that would affect student confidentiality or potentially re-traumatize individuals,” the university said. “As this is an ongoing investigation, we do not wish to jeopardize the integrity of the case as it develops.”
At St. Kate’s, as the school is known, the Department of Public Safety is on campus 24 hours a day every day of the year and is available for escorts in a perimeter around the campus. Students can reach the department via LiveSafe, an app that provides campus safety information. Students also can text tips and receive mass notification alerts from the university about events that affect the campus.
Students are given an overview of best practices at new student orientation, including Title IX training against sex-based discrimination, and the school requires an annual review of policies and procedures.
Under school policy, student residents can host guests in the residence halls. Community members are encouraged to watch out for one another. The university has the right to revoke a resident’s guest privileges at any time, and to escort guests from the building if it’s deemed necessary.
