Three male attackers. Image via New York Post
This story makes me sick (via New York Post):
“Three thugs grabbed a young woman waiting for a bus on the Upper East Side early yesterday and dragged her into Central Park, where she was sexually assaulted and robbed [by the men], cops said.
The 23-year-old victim told cops the attack took place about 300 feet inside the park near East 86th Street at around 3:20 a.m.
The woman, who lives in a Bronx homeless shelter, ran out of the park seminude. She was spotted by a cabdriver, who gave her a shirt and called 911.
She was treated at a hospital.
Sources said she appeared to be intoxicated.
Cops released video images of three suspects in a nearby drugstore around the time of the alleged attack.”
A few things jump to my mind when I read this.
1) I hope they catch these guys. I do not want them out and about attacking women.
2) I’m glad she got away.
3) Why the HELL did they include the sentence “Sources said she appeared to be intoxicated.”!? Why does that matter? She was waiting for a goddamn bus and three men attacked her. They are to blame whether she was sober or drunk. Please, reporters, stop engaging in this type of victim blaming!
4) Thank goodness for good people like the cab driver who gave her a shirt and called 911!!
5) Her experience highlights the increased vulnerability of homeless and low-to-middle income women to street harassment and sexual assault because they must rely on foot or public transportation to get everywhere. Public transportation should be safe! If you’re in NYC and care about this issue, look into RightRides, which gives free late night rides home to women and members of the LGBQT community for this reason and into New Yorkers for Safe Transit, a group working to make public transportation safe for everyone.
Stop Street Harassment! 
Whenever a report includes “alleged attack” I always worry that it will be an ignored case. This bothers me so much because I am moving to NYC and I am going to be two blocks away from Central Park, only because I was told by my friends who live there that it is the safest place in NYC. Uhm…after reading an article like this I must say I am more worried now than ever before. I am glad that the woman made it to safety but it does not matter if she was drunk or high on the holy spirit. She does not deserve to be assaulted in any way at anytime.
[sarcasm]How dare she be homeless and intoxicated! She was asking for it![sarcasm]
I hope they find the clowns who did this. It sickens me thinking about them being free on the streets.
Shermel, scary as it is, don’t let this incident affect how you live your life and where you live. This is exactly how these messed-up men want us to think—they want to cow us and intimidate us. We cannot let them win!
UPDATE: News video: All three suspects have been arrested.
I think the woman was in shock since see was just raped! The is what probably made her seem intoxicated?
NYC is downgrading rapes and blaming victims. Now they are showing a video to train officers to be more understanding about these types of crimes and how to treat victims. We need to fight back and get the laws changed.
They need to make stun guns legal in New York for people with no criminal history or mental problems.