Police release video of Public Garden rape suspect

By adamg on Thu, 11/12/2020 - 10:07pm

BPD Investigation Update

Boston Police have released surveillance video of the man they say dragged a woman from Bromfield Street across the Common to the Public Garden where they say he raped her, around 2 a.m. on Sunday.

If he looks familiar, contact detectives at 617-343-4400 or the anonymous tip line by calling 800-494-TIPS or by texting TIP to CRIME (27463).

Neighborhoods:

Back Bay

Beacon Hill

Free tagging:

Public Garden

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Comments

Thank you so much

By Rhea on Fri, 11/13/2020 - 7:37am.

for posting this video. This monster will be caught.

News outlets are calling it sexual assault

By Anon on Fri, 11/13/2020 - 9:30am.

Hi Adam, was having a discussion with female colleague. I can't find any other sources besides your articles that raise it to the level of rape. I was trying to warn her about the incident and she was not as concerned because "mainstream" news just called it Sexual assault.

she went on to ask me where am I getting my info and if the news outlet I was following was reputable. (of course it is)

Thanks, long time follower.

Sexual assault vs. rape

By adamg on Fri, 11/13/2020 - 10:24pm.

You're absolutely right: Boston Police are calling it "sexual assault," and in legal terms, that could cover anything from groping or grinding somebody to rape. All bad, of course, but obviously rape is the worst of the three. And as you mention, other outlets are using the same phrase as police.

So, yes, I am making a leap from what police called "sexual assault" to the use of the word "rape."

Here's why I did that: I know from past experience that police often use "sexual assault" when they're looking for somebody wanted for a sexual crime and they they often only start using the more specific term "rape" if the suspect is arrested and charged with that. Now couple that with the fact that police say the guy "forcefully " dragged her from Bromfield into the Common and then into the Public Garden, where he committed an act of sexual assault that they did not further detail. I'm neither a detective nor an expert in sexual crimes, but I find it hard to believe somebody would force somebody all that way just to fondle them.

Yes, I could be wrong, and will correct the two posts I've written so far if I am.

Rape is a specific statute

By Pete Nice on Sat, 11/14/2020 - 9:56am.

That has specific elements. No one needs to know specifically what the victim said because that’s really all the cops are going on at this point (minus evidence from a SANE from the hospital). What happened to this victim is private and the victim doesn’t need to see specifics of the crime on the news/internet/etc.