College student accused of lying about sexual assault: 'Why would I lie?'
A Clemson University freshman who faces a felony charge after deputies said she lied about being sexually assaulted at an off-campus fraternity house in January says she didn't lie.
Sarah Campbell, 18, who was charged with filing a false police report, spoke exclusively with WYFF News 4's Gabrielle Komorowski.
Campbell said she doesn't know why she was charged, and she's questioning how Oconee County deputies conducted their investigation.
Campbell said she drank too much at the party, and said that a man she had just met, who she says was not a Clemson student, began dancing with her and led her away from her friends and into a closet.
"Being as intoxicated as I was, I wasn't necessarily worried about being in that area at the beginning, but he started becoming more aggressive," Campbell said.
Campbell said the man kept hurting her, even when she told him to stop.
"He was standing over me and he said, 'Don't tell anyone,' Campbell said. "There was some bruising and redness around my neck. There were abrasions in my genital area."
Campbell says investigators encouraged her to tone down her reports and use words other than "forced" or "pressured."
"I would say something and he would rephrase it in a way that would cater to his beliefs," Campbell said in reference to one investigator.
In late February, Oconee County deputies arrested Campbell and said that their investigation revealed that what happened was consensual and Campbell had not been truthful.
"Why would I lie? Why would I go through getting the rape kit done at the hospital? Why would I go through speaking with law enforcement and trying to fix this if nothing even happened," Campbell said.
The Sheriff's Office turned down WYFF4's request for an interview and would not share what evidence led to Campbell's arrest. In a statement, public information officer Jimmy Watt said, "The Oconee County Sheriff's Office stands by the charge that has been filed in this case and the evidence that we have obtained in this investigation. We do not discuss any evidence obtained in an any investigation and the proper venue for that evidence to be released is in a court of law."
Campbell's attorney, Dan Farnsworth, told WYFF4 that he does not believe investigators ever questioned the man she accused of sexual assault.
"I think this sends the absolute worst message to anyone, male or female, that thinks they might be a victim of sexual assault, that they can't go to police and talk about it, whether charges will be filed or not against the perpetrator," Farnsworth said.
"Girls should feel safe reporting something like this happening to them, and they should not be punished for speaking out and using their voice," Campbell said.
Under South Carolina law, a person who falsely reports a felony is charged with a felony. If convicted, the penalty for false reporting of a felony is imprisonment for up to five years, or fines of up to $1,000 or both.
Campbell has a preliminary hearing scheduled for April.