Sexual Attack on St. Felix Prompts Press Conference
Yesterday morning shortly before 6 a.m a woman on her way to work at Brooklyn Hospital was sexually attacked on St. Felix Street between Fulton and Dekalb Avenues. Here’s what was posted on the Fort Greene Kids list by someone who spoke to police on the scene: A young female doctor was assaulted, raped and…
Yesterday morning shortly before 6 a.m a woman on her way to work at Brooklyn Hospital was sexually attacked on St. Felix Street between Fulton and Dekalb Avenues. Here’s what was posted on the Fort Greene Kids list by someone who spoke to police on the scene:
A young female doctor was assaulted, raped and robbed at around 5:45am on her way to work at Brooklyn Hospital. The attack occurred on St Felix Street between Fulton & Dekalb. Supposedly, the attacker dragged her down a stoop and hid behind some garbage cans. As far as I know, he got away. This was a very bold sexual assault – outdoors in freezing weather in the middle of a residential block on a garbage pick up morning and around the time the NY Times delivery guy comes by.
We were able to confirm that as of last night the police had no one in custody. City Councilmember Letitia James will be holding a press conference today at 3 p.m. at the corner of Fulton and St. Felix to call for more police presence in the area and to raise awareness about safety measures.
Folks;
I’m joining late, and just want to make one point. I fully agree with MM about the special nature of rape as a crime. I know someone who was raped, and I know the devastation that it brought to her. It takes years for a rape victim to recover. It fills the person with all sorts of questions about their worth, their ability to function again in society and other psychological damage. A mugging victim victim simply doesn’t have deal with these issues.
This point was further brought home to me when I recently served on a grand jury. One of the cases I had to hear involved rape, and the victim had to testify, 3 or 4 years after the event. As she testified, the terror of the event filled her voice again. I was literally in a cold sweat and sick after her testimony.
It is a horrific crime, and deserves special attention.
I’m new to the neighborhood and the to blog but here’s what I know. The What is a complete idiot. If he didn’t exist Brownstoner would have to invent him. And PropJoe is offensive to some, but totally understandable in his response. This crime is horrible. So is the mugging on S Elliot a few months ago and the muggings before that. We can all agree this crime is vicious and thuggish and has to be confronted, hopefully by more vigilant and active neighborhood groups. And we all know it tends to be committed by black males between the ages of 17 and 40 who live in the projects. That’s not racist. That’s an empirical statistical fact. So let’s all drop the pointless racist diatribes and simply confront the reality. Together. All of us good non-mugging folks, white, black, beige, whatever. And one more thing. All this talk that the victim should have screamed louder. Or shouldn’t have been out at that hour. Please. Any talk that blames the victim is beneath contempt.
Where in this story does it mention the race of the suspect?
Why because one idiot posts a racist inflammatory comment, you all have to get into a discussion on race when the story has nothing at all to do with it? If you would just completely ignore this person he would not succeed in his mission to “inflame” you all.
“Maybe I’m just too defensive about black and Hispanic people being once again alienated, marginalized and pre-judged as dangerous because of the actions of a small minority. Maybe I’m tired of the PropJoes of the world, and am still reacting to some posts I read on Curbed the other day that were the most racist, hateful things I’ve read this side of a KKK blog, ostensibly written by the same demographic that reads this blog. Maybe I was just hoping that when things get bad, people wouldn’t turn on each other like ravenous wolves. Too much to hope, I suppose.”
Once again..where did it say that this was a black or hispanic? And what do you mean by “the same demographic that reads this blog” So are you saying that while it’s not ok to marginalize black and hispanic people as dangerous it IS ok to marginalize non-black and hispanics as racsits? Wouldn’t you consider propjoe a small minority since he’s the only one who posted a racist comment out of 50?
I just fail to see the logic in this…and there I go talking about race.
Brownstoner:
Many years ago in the dead of night, my family was wakened by screams in the street.
My father, a skinny little guy, looked out the window and saw a woman being attacked by two men.
Without a word, he threw a coat over his pajamas, grabbed one of his boys’ baseball bats, and flew out the door, our dog in tow.
The would-be rapists took flight and only when they got far enough away did Dad return to the young woman (who was pregnant!) to wait for the police to show up.
From that night on, whenever our dog heard a ruckus outside, he went straight to the window to bark his head off!
Dad taught his kids — and our dog — how to be good neighbors.
And afterward, he never mentioned the incident again.
Indeed, when he got back upstairs he told us matter-of-factly that the police had come and it was time to go back to bed.
Now there was a true Brooklynite!
Nostalgic on Park Avenue
“I am irate that they did not at least tell me to take extra caution.” – you live in NYC and you actually need them to tell you that? C’mon.
Understand- the police are there investigating a crime- it’s not the job of the cop on the beat to give you investigative information. Number 1- they may not have all the information at that point. Number 2- in the immediate aftermath of a crime they are concentrating on their job- they have no idea if you or your neighbor is a perpetrator, if you’re hiding the rapist in your house. At tht point they ar simply gathering info and this is how they approach it. You would do better to get in touch with your community liaison at the precinct. this kind of information is really their job.
Pierre, I reserve the right to be irrational and not make sense at all times. 🙂 I guess I just find rape to be much worse than having your belongings stolen. Since, thank God, neither have happened to me, and hopefully never will, I guess I don’t really know, and I’m just projecting.
I have had my apt broken into and robbed, not in NYC, and I have had my purse snatched on the UWS. Those were distressing enough, but not as bad as being physically threatened, I understand that.
Maybe I’m just too defensive about black and Hispanic people being once again alienated, marginalized and pre-judged as dangerous because of the actions of a small minority. Maybe I’m tired of the PropJoes of the world, and am still reacting to some posts I read on Curbed the other day that were the most racist, hateful things I’ve read this side of a KKK blog, ostensibly written by the same demographic that reads this blog. Maybe I was just hoping that when things get bad, people wouldn’t turn on each other like ravenous wolves. Too much to hope, I suppose.
I do think hypocritical is way too strong. Not a fully thought position out would be closer to fact, but most of us, I think, are not 100% thought out on anything.
I too live on this block and when I asked the police what happend I was given no answer even when I pressed them. I am irate that they did not at least tell me to take extra caution. I feel it is extremely unfair to withhold this info from the community. This crime sickens me. Thank you Brownstoner for posting this news, this is the only place on the web that I could find any info on what happened.
11214’s point was that- if you remember this very famous case- was that even though Kitty Genovese’s neighbors heard her screaming no one even picked up a phone to call the police. Some even saw it from their windows. He was answering the poster who assumed the victim didn’t scream or fight back.
which also brings up the point that fighting back can also escalate your danger- especially if you have a gun held to your head or a knife in your back. So let’s also not assume if the victim didn’t scream or fight back it was because she didn’t want to. When you’re in a situation like that you’re only thinking about how to survive it and you do what you hope will work. And yes- speaking from experience here.
Ok- you don’t have to agree with MM but she is the last person I would call a hypocrite. Her point was that too often pepole take posts like these to become racist bashes- and we’ve all seen that. MM’s reasoning is carefully thought out, and hardly merits the name calling.
Wow MM you know we value your contribution and respect your opinions in general but have to say with all due respect your reasoning still makes NO logic and is tinged with hypocrisy as Dittoburg pointed out. How can reporting crimes be inappropriate for this blog except when its rape? So what if propjoe is a moron? He / she is one idiot. The overwhelming majority of comments here have been very supportive and positive. Mr B is doing a fantastic job informing us on all aspects of RE of which crime can be an integral part. We are especially thankful in this case since we live in FG as well.