"...police did not arrive until after three telephone calls were made to 911, hours after the attack. When officers did arrive, she said she was told the incident would be classified as Forcible Touching, a misdemeanor.
34th Police Precinct Captain Jose Navarro said that the incident was originally classified as Forcible Touching, but that the Special Victims Unit reclassified it as Attempted Rape on Feb. 18., He is investigating why it took so long for police to respond to Nathan’s calls."
A notice for a community meeting on the recent crimes in Isham and Inwood Hill Parks in upper Manhattan. (Photos: © Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) Click on images to enlarge.
Manhattan
The New York Police Department Special Victims Unit has classified the attack on a woman in Inwood Hill Park on Feb. 17 as an attempted rape and is planning on dramatically stepping up its presence in the park, according to Manhattan Times.
W. 204th Street resident Debbie Nathan went into Inwood Hill Park for a walk just before 6 p.m. on Feb. 17. She was walking around the “ring” path frequented by joggers when she was suddenly grabbed from behind and dragged into the woods. Her attacker, much larger and stronger than the 5-foot tall Nathan, had complete control over her.
Inwood Hill Park - February 22, 2010. The NYPD have stepped up their presence in the area after a series of crimes in two area parks.
“He began dragging me into the woods and said he wanted to have sex with me. … He would not let me go,” she wrote in an account of the attack posted on the Inwood Safety Patrol forum on Feb. 18.
The teen began rubbing up against Nathan’s clothes from behind.
“He began masturbating against me while pushing me farther into the woods. This went on for over a minute, maybe two minutes,” she wrote.
Nathan wrote that she believed her attacker finished masturbating before he released her and fled into the woods.
After the attack Nathan said police did not arrive until after three telephone calls were made to 911, hours after the attack. When officers did arrive, she said she was told the incident would be classified as Forcible Touching, a misdemeanor.
Nathan had sharp words for the officers in her post on the online forum, which was met with notes of support and consternation from Inwood’s tight-knit online community.
“I was not just casually grabbed in a crowd. This is not the part of the crime that is giving me flashbacks. The part that made me feel I was going to be raped or die was being forced into the woods,” she wrote.
Members of the forum responded by condemning the 34th Police Precinct and calling elected officials.
Be Alert. A flyer posted on a tree in Inwood Hill Park offers safety tips and advises the public to take precautions due to recent crimes in area parks. (Photos: © Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) Click on images to enlarge.
Read More:
Manhattan Times - February 18, 2010 - Daniel P. Bader
Manhattan Times - February 18, 2010 - Daniel P. Bader
The Streets Where We Live - February 18, 2010
Inwood Safety Patrol Web Site Addresses Recent Muggings
The Streets Where We Live - February 04, 2010
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