Attempted rape in Complex change rooms Monday; suspect in court today
By Kyra Hoggan
An attempted rape in a Castlegar Complex change room Monday evening has resulted in the arrest of a 16-year-old local youth.
Castlegar RCMP Sgt. Laurel Mathew said the 28-year-old victim was showering in the ladies’ changeroom at around 8:45 p.m. when a complete stranger entered and attempted to rape her. The suspect did not produce a weapon, and the woman was able to fight him off. She was not physically injured. Mathew said the assailant fled, but police were able to identify him fairly quickly. “There’s really good video surveillance tape of him walking down the hallway and choosing the door to the Ladies’,” she said. The youth that police identified from the tape was known to police, and was located and arrested early the following morning. He is appearing in court today. Mathew said women need not fear using the Complex change rooms, as a lack of security or due diligence on the facility’s part were not factors in this incident. “This kind of assault – especially on a stranger – is very rare here,” she said. “This is the first one I’ve seen in the 13 months I’ve been (in Castlegar).”
Comments