A 59-year-old woman reported to NYPD that a man entered her East Harlem apartment and tried to rape her. According to a CBS New York news report, the sexual assault reportedly occurred in a building on East 106th Street. The victim said the experience was extremely traumatic for her and that she was sleeping with the television on when a male intruder came through a window off the fire escape and grabbed her foot.
The woman said the intruder told her to be quiet. When she continued to scream as he tried to assault her, the man stopped, ran to the window and went up the fire escape to the roof, she said. The building apparently had security cameras inside and outside, but police put out only a sketch of the suspect. He has been described as a heavy-set, light-skinned man about 25 years old with short black hair. Anyone with information is asked to contact NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.
NYC Sexual Assault Statistics
According to FDNY, the department and Emergency Medical Services reported 991 transports of rape victims to city hospitals in 2008. During the same year, 27 New York City Emergency Hospital Departments reported 1,367 patients treated for sexual assault. Also, in 2008, the New York State Crime Victim’s Board (CVB) paid more than $1.7 million dollars for 2,183 forensic rape exam claims.
It is common for survivors of sexual assault to feel devastated and experience mental effects such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, depression and feelings of hopelessness. Survivors may try to cope with the effects by engaging in substance abuse. Survivors of these incidents are not only physically injured, but also emotionally traumatized.
Compensation for Victims
Injured victims of sexual assault, in addition to filing a police report, can seek to hold the perpetrator civilly liable for the injuries, damages and losses caused. If the sexual assault happened as a result of lax security at the victim’s property, then, the victim could also have a premises liability claim against the property/building owner or manager.
If you or a loved one was a victim of sexual assault or abuse, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Please contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). Our attorneys were able to reach a $2,500,000 settlement in the case of a minor, who was raped in the Bronx due to inadequate security controls in the building where she lived.
Please call our offices TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: CBS New York