Police are appalled by the nature of the sexual assault that happened in the wee hours of Saturday morning at Freeman Park. Even in the realm of sex-motivated attacks, always troubling, this one stood out for investigators, according to Prince George RCMP.
"We are now calling this a vicious sexual assault," said Prince George RCMP spokesman Const. Gary Godwin. "She was very badly beaten, she has received serious eye injuries, bruised all over the body, it was a very brutal kind of attack."
The victim, a 25-year-old aboriginal female, needed extensive medical attention.
She was not alone with her attacker, however. Just prior to the man tackling her in the semi-darkness, she had been around some youths who were having a little party in the bleachers of the ball park.
"We would very much like to talk to these people," said Godwin, who stressed these youths were in no way suspects. "They were much younger than her and much younger than the suspect, so we think they can give us an idea of what was going on at the time in the area, maybe who was in the area, what they did before and after they were at the ball park. It would be a big help to talk to them."
The RCMP's Forensic Identification Unit examined the scene, and, said Godwin, "due to the violence involved and the fact it appears to be a complete stranger, our Sex Crimes Unit is conducting the investigation."
The assault happened at about 1 a.m. The man was scared away by a passing car, giving the woman a chance to summon the strength to get help.
The attacker was described as a Caucasian male in his mid-40s; short, dirty-blonde hair, about 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-6 in height, average build, no glasses on, and no noticeable facial hair.
Anyone with information is asked to call 250-561-3300 for the Prince George RCMP detachment, or 1-800-222-TIPS (online: www.pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca) to give the information anonymously to the Crime Stoppers tips service. Crime Stoppers offers rewards for good information, and you can even claim the money without ever having to disclose who you are.
