DCist: Assault, Rape in Rock Creek Park

kelly5612

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:58:12 -0500

Westminster: ditto on the loss of faith in humanity, where most of the comments are a variation on the following: "No woman deserves to be beaten/raped/attacked/violated, but I'm gonna go ahead and blame her anyway, mistakenly assuming the opening clause to my opinion portrays me something other than the misogynistic, clueless a-hole that I am."

DCster

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:46:45 -0500

though there have been recent examples of vigilent bystanders too westminster, [hyperlink to Novak hitting homeless man DCist story here if I knew how]

westminster

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:01:24 -0500

Just read through the "comments" section of the NBC4 report, faith in humanity lost once again.

westminster

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:47:25 -0500

Okay, I feel a bit better to hear that it was due to there being a lack of cars to flag down. In instances where there are bystanders witnessing someone in distress, DC has both amazed me at time (citizen's arrest of the man who was sexually assaulting women downtown) and sickened me at times (stories from clients who have been assaulted both verbally and physically in public spaces by abusive partners while people gawk from a distance)

msdingdong

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:19:29 -0500

The bystander effect (or the Kitty Genovese syndrome), I think.

timtheviking2

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:15:27 -0500

In fairness, from reading the Channel 4 article, it sounds like there just weren't any cars around that time of night, not that drivers wouldn't stop. So this may not be a case of the bystander effect/Genovese syndrome. Maybe it's because I've been rereading Watchmen lately, but part of me wants to go round up a few LDS missionaries from the temple and get a posse together. We could find this guy and string him up by his sacred undergarments.

majapa

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:53:16 -0500

@westminster - I know there's a term for this, but in general (and in recent memory in particular) humans aren't always apt to race to the rescue.

westminster

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:49:11 -0500

Does anyone else think that it's f*ed up that nobody would stop when the woman tried to flag down a car?

ChickenArise

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:05:02 -0500

@Tim - "I don't know officer. I heard him mutter something about sexually assaulting me and I thought it would be best to pepper spray him...just in case."

IMGoph

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:04:13 -0500

just to clarify, this happened in kensington, not where beach and connecticut meet near woodley park in the district

NotTheRedBaron

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:02:32 -0500

Folks, take precautions. There are too many crazy people out here. Don't go jogging alone at night.

timtheviking2

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:58:58 -0500

That's awful. I run through there at least once a week, and it's not even as secluded as they make it sound. The path never gets more than 20 feet or so away from Beach Drive, and there are usually cars or bikes going by. That tunnel under Connecticut is bad news, though. It's always dark, and depending on the recent weather, it usually smells like sewage and is filled with mud. It freaks me out. During the day. And I'm a dude. I noticed Sunday that they just put in overhead lights, I presume to prevent this very sort of thing from happening. I guess the next time I pass a woman running I'll need to say "On your left, and I'm not trying to sexually assault you" to avoid being pepper sprayed. Not that I really could blame her.