Rape on E Willow Grove Ave

[stonefly]

Got this info from Everyblock. Anyone have any details? A rape is pretty disturbing. Hopefully the police have made an arrest and the victim was not injured too badly.

Rape: Stranger | EveryBlock Philadelphia

Rape: Stranger
200 Block E Willow Grove AvAugust 18, 2011 @ 11:59 a.m.

[enyo]

Here's a description of the attacker:

"Aug. 18. 200 block E. Willow Grove Ave. Complainant states that an unknown black male vaginally raped her inside his car. Male, 31–35 years old, 6’1” tall, heavy build, brown complexion, short haircut."

The following crimes are from the week of Aug. 14 to Aug. 20, 2011. | | Chestnut Hill Local Philadelphia PAChestnut Hill Local Philadelphia PA

[Sharkfood]

Even though this is classified as a stranger rape, there may be something more to it.
The account does not state that the victim was forced into the attacker's car. Nor does it
state where she got into his car.

It's conceivable that she got in his car voluntarily in some location other than Chestnut Hill and then he drove to Chestnut Hill. It's possible that she hitched a ride from a stranger or that she was transacting some business with him, and then he didn't pay for her services.

[enyo]

Even though this is classified as a stranger rape, there may be something more to it.
The account does not state that the victim was forced into the attacker's car. Nor does it
state where she got into his car.

It's conceivable that she got in his car voluntarily in some location other than Chestnut Hill and then he drove to Chestnut Hill. It's possible that she hitched a ride from a stranger or that she was transacting some business with him, and then he didn't pay for her services.

I was a little puzzled about that too. That intersection gets a lot of activity. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me as the time listed was just before noon. My guess is that it happened on Ardleigh next to the triangular park.

[MA4]

The Chestnut Hill Local says the event happened several months ago and was just reported now.

[billy ross]

The Chestnut Hill Local says the event happened several months ago and was just reported now.

A woman gets raped by a stranger and she takes months to report it? I think it is more likely that it was coded incorrectly and that it was acquaintance rape.

[MA4]

I would believe that many rapes go un-reported...until the victim finds out they are pregnant and have to explain the baby....

[HomeGirl]

Wow - very disturbing that just about every post except the original discounts the woman's story of rape. It was basically implied that she was a hooker, lied about knowing the attacker, and then she is discredited b/c there is a chance that she got in the car voluntarily; and of course, since she took so long to report it, there must be more to it. This is exactly why most rapes go unreported. Everyone blames the victim.

Maybe it took the Victim this long to get over the emotional and physical trauma that was inflicted upon her and she can finally talk about it. Maybe she was afraid that no one would believe her - and that folks would blame her for the incident - so she remained silent and maybe her friends and family were finally able to encourage her to report it so others would know there is a rapist out there and can be more careful.

What if the story is true and the victim was you - or your daughter/sister/wife/friend - and you (or she) were reading this thread? She is being victimized all over again.

[ebyrnes]

Thanks, Kristi; you said exactly what I was thinking. I feel for this woman and for all victims of rape; small wonder that so few are reported.

e

Wow - very disturbing that just about every post except the original discounts the woman's story of rape. It was basically implied that she was a hooker, lied about knowing the attacker, and then she is discredited b/c there is a chance that she got in the car voluntarily; and of course, since she took so long to report it, there must be more to it. This is exactly why most rapes go unreported. Everyone blames the victim.

Maybe it took the Victim this long to get over the emotional and physical trauma that was inflicted upon her and she can finally talk about it. Maybe she was afraid that no one would believe her - and that folks would blame her for the incident - so she remained silent and maybe her friends and family were finally able to encourage her to report it so others would know there is a rapist out there and can be more careful.

What if the story is true and the victim was you - or your daughter/sister/wife/friend - and you (or she) were reading this thread? She is being victimized all over again.

[J&J19118]

Yes, thank you HomeGirl, for your comment. It is very disheartening to hear speculation that the woman was a prostitute. I would have hoped that the "she asked for it" by...[fill in the blank here with "being a prostitute", "dressing too provocatively", etc.] was a reaction on the wane in this day and age. I mean really, how many grown adults have come forward in the church sexual abuse cases, years and years after the assaults? A whole lot of them is the answer.

It is all too easy to imagine the victim being somewhat paralyzed, in a mental sense, following an attack like that. It's no secret that trauma affects everyone in different ways. Many victims of rape's lives are ruined for years and years after the fact. Why should that possibility be so difficult to imagine? Heck, it took me months and months to get 'normal' after my house was burgularized, and I wasn't even home at the time!

The stretch of Willow Grove Ave between Ardleigh and Stenton is sketchy. There are also areas next to the Wyndmoor train station that a car could park and be relatively unnoticed, even in the middle of the afternoon. I would personally never walk alone along that stretch or around the apartments on Crittenden Street.

[Sycamore]

Kristi is right on. The responses to this thread are what keep women silent (and allows men to more easily prey on women). Reporting late (or not at all) is common to rapes, not the other way around.

[OldMama]

It takes courage to report a rape and, gee, I wonder why given many of the comments on this thread. It may have taken this woman until now to decide to report it or be convinced by someone else to report it.

[Dayman]

I would believe that many rapes go un-reported...until the victim finds out they are pregnant and have to explain the baby....

Protip: never say anything like that within earshot of me. Ever. Unless you like having less teeth.

[MA4]

I think you took that the wrong way, I was just stating it as a sad reality given the timeline of the report. Didn't mean to be offensive or judgmental or anything.

But thanks for the offer for free dental work...

[whatever]

I totally agree HomeGirl. Men are incredible cruel toward women in this city. They victimize over and over and over again.

[whatever]

Acquaintance rape is no less traumatic. Sometimes it's worse because it can be even scarier to tell and you might have to be around them again because they are in your circle of people or someone you work for.