According to Yale University’s Report on Campus Security, there were only eight instances of alleged forcible sex crimes in 2007.

However, the Sexual Harassment Assault Resources & Education Center claims there were, in fact, 24 reported incidents, four times the official number released by the University.

So, who’s lying here: the Yale administration or the department tasked with handling said violations?

Apparently, neither of them – if you believe the official response from University officials.

The Yale Daily News reports:

In response to allegations that Yale was underreporting sexual offenses, the U.S. Department of Education began investigating the University for its compliance with federal reporting requirements in 2004. Since then, the University has reviewed and reformed its protocols for handling reports of sexual crimes.

Yale administrators said the figures in its campus security report are lower because federal law requires universities to report only certain kinds of offenses. Plus, the administrators added, no one knows exactly how many sexual crimes take place at Yale — or, for that matter, at other universities.

Please note that, while administrators argue they’re only required to release the pertinent statistics for “certain kinds of offenses,” they make no attempts at explaining what those are.

Moreover, if the department designed to handle reported sex crimes cannot be trusted, why does it exist?

As with everything, the proof is always in the pudding, and this pudding reeks of moldy milk nestled underneath chocolate-y goodness.