PERV ON THE LOOSE: Man who tried to rape 21-year-old woman on subway train still at large
On Wednesday, February 9, a man attempted to rape a 21-year-old woman on a Lower Manhattan subway train, according to authorities. The sicko attacked the victim aboard a northbound E train nearing the Canal Street stop at about 10.20 am, according to investigators. He first slipped his hand under her pants, according to authorities. The victim quickly moved out of her seat to evade the perpetrator.
According to authorities, the guy then grabbed her and shoved her into the train car's corner before attempting to rape her. It's unclear whether the woman fought back, but cops say her assailant exited the train at the Canal Street station. Though the woman was given medical attention on the spot, police were unable to apprehend the suspect, who is still on the loose.
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There have been other similar incidents, one of which occurred on October 13, 2021 in Philadelphia. Authorities have indicated that passengers who do not interfere when a woman is raped on a train could face criminal charges themselves. In the Philadelphia incident police noted that not only did fellow train riders not phone the cops or stop the rapist, they also started taking images and videos of the rape.
BOOKING PHOTO of Philadelphia man charged with raping @septa passenger on SEPTA Market Frankford Line train 9:30pm last night. Fiston Ngoy, 33 Multiple Law Enforcement Sources say passengers on surveillance video recording rape instead of helping or calling 911 @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/gKmuhRkpNy
— Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) October 15, 2021
At around 10 p.m., surveillance footage from a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) train showed a guy entering a westbound train and sitting close to a woman. Fiston Ngoy, 35, "sat next to her for a conversation" before pulling her clothing off and "totally overpowering the woman and brutally raped her," according to Upper Darby Township Police Department Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt. The assault lasted nearly eight minutes, and no other passengers stepped in to help.
Bernhardt said the railway car had a number of passengers, but he wouldn't reveal how many. Investigators were still trying to figure out the actual number of people, he told the New York Times. He admitted that there weren't "dozens" of people in the car at the time, but stated there were enough that "together, they could have done something."
The most "appalling" part of the case, according to Bernhardt, was fellow passengers' lack of empathy. "I'm speechless," he said. "It's very dreadful to be a victim of a crime like this and then be victimised again." I'm not sure where we are as a culture in terms of people being unable to assist others in times of need."