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| A view of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house at the University of Virginia in Charlottsville, Va. / AP-Yonhap |
But following backlash against the magazine, some advocates for sexual violence victims fear that the apology will set back efforts to eliminate campus rape.
Published last month, the article intended to shed light on what the magazine called a hidden culture of sexual violence at the University of Virginia.
Journalist Sabrina Rubin Erdely did not contact the men who were allegedly involved, due to a request by the woman, identified only as "Jackie," reports said.
"In the face of new information, there now appear to be discrepancies in Jackie's account, and we have come to the conclusion that our trust in her was misplaced," the magazine said on its website.
''We were trying to be sensitive to the unfair shame and humiliation many women feel after a sexual assault and now regret the decision to not contact the alleged assaulters to get their account,'' the statement said. ''We are taking this seriously and apologize to anyone who was affected by the story.''
Alison Kiss, executive director of the Clery Center for Security On Campus, told the Associated Press that advocates for victims of sexual violence believe the apology could have ''chilling effect'' on the number of victims who report cases.
But she said the apology ''doesn't change the facts: Sexual assault on campus is drastically underreported and false reports are incredibly rare.''
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