Rapes reported at Las Vegas psych center

LAS VEGAS " Authorities are investigating reports of two recent rapes at the state psychiatric hospital in Las Vegas.

Harold Cook, state Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services administrator, said Monday that staff is cooperating with police, state Bureau of Licensure and Certification and Joint Commission investigations. The commission is a national accrediting agency.

Police say they're looking into alleged sex assaults reported Nov. 14 and Nov. 21 at Rawson Neal Psychiatric Hospital.

Authorities aren't saying whether the assaults were reported to hospital officials, witnessed or stopped by employees.

A union official is raising questions about whether the attacks resulted from increased risks to staff due to recent employee cutbacks.

But Cook says preliminary indications are that staffing levels weren't a factor.