Rape Attempt at POP

[disneyfan123]

I am so glad she got away, you just don't expect to be on a disney vacation and have that happen. My husband and I always would go back for a dinner time nap before we headed out to downtown disney, not that I need to justify her husband sleeping, I am sure we all know stories like that are not made up.

I do feel sad that we live in a society that in order for a women to be believed about assualt they need to give everyone all the details. I assume POP did not want everyone to panic which is why the investigation would have been kept quite and which is why the reporter was so vague. I agree guests should have been alerted to watch their kids and to not walk alone, but that should also be something they advertise all the time.

 

[moviegirl11]

I'm glad she got away without getting hurt but I agree, getting knocked down by a guy doesn't automatically mean he was going to try to rape her. Seems like the paper is going for headlines here because reporting that a woman was knocked down at a Disney resort isnt as shocking as saying she was almost raped.

ETA: Also, I dont think its an issue of people not believing she was assaulted - just that the paper is making claims about the assaulter's intentions while offering zero information supporting it. People have a right to question the media... especially when they report a story and throw in a bunch of vague information with no quotes or anything else to back up what they're saying.

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

I can't believe that her husband was sleeping at 6:00pm.!! For us, there is still another good 7 hours left of the day. Its Disney, who sleeps!

LOL! I was thinking the same thing - sleeping at 6:00pm?! Wouldn't they miss their ADR?

 

[ninjamama]

Groped OR attempted assault? Splitting hairs! Either one of those scenarios could mean serious PTS for this woman. Seriously, what if that was YOUR teen DD (or DS)? I would think being suddenly pounced on by a strange man would register the same fear of sexual assault in all of us. Especially if that guy was going anywhere NEAR your shorts. Mugging or a sexual assault, I think this lady is entitled to feel incredibly violated by such violent crime (in the happiest place on earth, no less)....assault of any kind is still assault, I would say her perception is the one that matters, here. Shame on those who like to suspect the victim. There's always a possibilty of crying wolf, but there's always the same possibility that it's true. With those odds, I'd err on the side of caution and not reap further hurt and criticism. Just MY 2 cents......

 

[minnie61650]

Groped OR attempted assault? Splitting hairs! Either one of those scenarios could mean serious PTS for this woman. Seriously, what if that was YOUR teen DD (or DS)? I would think being suddenly pounced on by a strange man would register the same fear of sexual assault in all of us. Especially if that guy was going anywhere NEAR your shorts. Mugging or a sexual assault, I think this lady is entitled to feel incredibly violated by such violent crime (in the happiest place on earth, no less)....assault of any kind is still assault, I would say her perception is the one that matters, here......

I agree.
And for the record I do not suspect her.
I am sure she was very frightened as any of us would be.



Waiting for more info......

 

[safetymom]

It is unusual for the media here in Orlando to not print details, especially when it concerns Disney.

I believe something happened but we don't have all the details. Was it a an attempted rape? Can't say without more details.

I don't believe I need to jump to conclusions just because more details weren't provided.

 

[Feralpeg]

I certainly don't suspect the lady involved of anything. I just think people should wait until some facts come out as to what really happened before crying attempted rape. The local news only said that the woman was pushed into some bushes, escaped and was upset. The police have not released any other details. There was only the very small blurb on the news. If the police had enough evidence to confirm that an attempted rape took place, we'd be hearing it. I know people will tell you that Disney hushes things up. Well, I will tell you that we hear most things of any violent nature that happen on Disney property on the local news.

I just think we shouldn't jump to conclusions on this until more information is released.

 

[moviegirl11]

I think that its likely that some people are sensitive when others doubt the validity of a story when it involves rape. Its a very sensitive issue. But I dont think everyone here who has expressed doubts is trying to turn a blind eye to the serious issue of sexual assault in general. Its the article's vagueness and the fact that for obvious reasons, the media would love to sensationalize any incident taking place at a place like Disney that is probably causing many of us to wonder what really happened (or could have happened).

Could the woman have been sexually assaulted? Sure. It happens all the time. But that article does little to convince me of anything. I dont need the exact details but a bit more information than what's been reported would help.

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

True or not, I think its a good reminder for people that you are not safe just because you are at 'disney'. Don't let your kids run to the food court alone or go to the arcade alone.
This is not a child predator case, but pedophiles are rampant at Disney and you should not be letting your kids off alone!

 

[Esmerelda]

I agree with several other posts here...this whole story sounds odd.

The husband sleeping....the key...then the key bent...etc. Obviously POP is a very POPulated place. I find it hard to believe that no one saw or heard anything at this resort. I'm presuming that she went running back to her room, didn't anyone notice her or him running the other direction?

Others that were there said they saw police squads but yet no one said that anyone should get in their rooms? I would find that strange if there is a would be attacker on the loose at that time?

It will be interesting to hear more on this story.

Esmerelda

 

[Goofey Drool]

Without facts its mostly speculation.

 

[Sammie]

Whenever I hear stories like this I try to use it as a time to remember that Disney like any where else has it's fair share of "John P Nutcases" running around.
I'm always amazed at how, when I vacation in NYC I take a million safety precautions but when I go to disney, I go temporarily brain dead.

You are very wise to share that, as many have the same problem. And while this particular incident might not be as imagined, crime, serious crime happens daily at WDW and all the resorts.

 

[Traveliz]

I agree with several other posts here...this whole story sounds odd.

The husband sleeping....the key...then the key bent...etc. Obviously POP is a very POPulated place. I find it hard to believe that no one saw or heard anything at this resort. I'm presuming that she went running back to her room, didn't anyone notice her or him running the other direction?

Others that were there said they saw police squads but yet no one said that anyone should get in their rooms? I would find that strange if there is a would be attacker on the loose at that time?

It will be interesting to hear more on this story.

Esmerelda

OK don't know the woman, no nothing of the FACTS but I will comment on the above speculation. My husband and I travel often to WDW. There are nights he is sleeping, resting whatever in the room at 6pm...and I am out wandering around. I have been in back areas of the values near bushes and could run to my room without anyone seeing me. I really don't find that odd. The key could have gotten bent in the attack...nothing unuual about that.

The attacker at the Swan/Dolphin was out mid day and now at 6pm it is dark in FL.

Granted the Sentinal botched the story but I highly doubt the woman involved had anything to do with the way it was written.

 

[Puncek]

The husband sleeping....the key...then the key bent...etc. Obviously POP is a very POPulated place. I find it hard to believe that no one saw or heard anything at this resort. I'm presuming that she went running back to her room, didn't anyone notice her or him running the other direction?

I don't think it is unusual that her husband was sleeping at 6:00 pm, I am in my mid-twenties and I take naps around that time almost each day at Disney, as does my Mom. We like to re-energize to go to night EMH, DTD or the Boardwalk.

The key could be bent because she used it on the attacker, they always say go for the eyes and the throat....(just a thought).

There are also many times that ASmu is empty around this time on the paths, people are at the parks, or in the pools, and just not walking towards the Food Court, etc. Maybe this is the same for Pop?

Maybe I can just a cynical New Yorker, but I believe when a woman says she was attacked, she was attacked. I see/hear a lot of things in New York, this doesn't sound unusual to me.

 

[Esmerelda]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that the woman was making something up. I'm just saying to me, the part of the story that was printed does not make all that much sense. I'm sure as it all unfolds, more details will come about.
As the other poster said, right now, its all speculation.

E..

 

[Pigsty333]

This was what one of the news stations reported:

Guest Escapes Attacker at Disney Resort

Last Edited: Wednesday, 19 Dec 2007, 9:43 AM EST
Created: Tuesday, 18 Dec 2007, 5:20 PM EST
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Click here to read the police report



A guest escaped an attempted assault at a Disney resort last week.

According to a report from the Orange County Sheriffs office, this past Friday night just before 6PM the unidentified woman was pulled into some bushes at the Pop Century resort.

The woman was pulled onto the ground and a man fell down beside her and pulled her room card from her pocket. Details of how the woman escaped from the attacker weren’t made available but the report did say that the woman was able to escape and return to her room. She was unable to enter the room because her room card was bent. The victim pounded on the door until she woke her husband.

The husband called 911 then had a Disney employee stay with his wife while he headed to scene of the attack to search for a suspect. The Sheriffs department responded but was unable to find any trace of a subject.

The victim described the suspect as a light skinned black male, tall, approximately 40-50 year old with brown eyes and short black hair.

http://disboards.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=22231706

 

[Pigsty333]

Here is the police report that is on one of the news stations. There is more to the story, but for the sake of keeping victim's information secret, a lot is blacked out, but it appears there were witnesses and more facts than originally reported.

http://media.myfoxorlando.com/documents/121807_Disney_battery_report.pdf

 

[rsquare]

It sounds like the newspaper matched the redacted police report. Yes, there's a lot of facts missing that must be really important to the investigation (hence the blackout of entire paragraphs). Thus, the contradictory reporting in the paper is just like the police statement. Obviously, she was assaulted, that much is clear and no one can argue with that at this point.

I'm not sure if the husband going out to look for someone based on a description was the wisest decision though. Getting in a fight with a stranger who may have matched the description would have been really really bad.

 

[ilovecountry]

I was at Pop in June & while there I met a guy (completely innocent lol) and we met by the water area on the bridge every night just to talk & hang out. Well I got there a bit early (we were meeting at midnight to hang for a bit) but I wanted some fresh air away from my friends first so I went at 11:30 to be myself for a few mins. Well almost immediately these two police officers came up to me and asked me tons of questions. They were asking me where I was from, who I was staying with, why I was by myself, why did they SEE me out there for the past two nights, then they asked to see my Room Key & State ID. At first I got kind of nervous because I had no idea why they were acting that way but then they said they just like to check up on people especially women out there alone. They said a lot of the college age groups go there & some end up drunk & then get into things they shouldn't be. Right at that point was when my friend (that guy) showed up, they then asked him the same questions- they even wrote down our room numbers! The guy was kinda aggrivated but at the same time, I guess I can't really complain. Everyone should feel safe at Disney, and you gotta do what you gotta do to keep people safe. So I hope things like this can prevent something horrible from actually happening. I will note though, for that week, we saw the police drive around the area so many times we lost count!

 

[CoachBagFanatic]

Wow, after reading the police report even though a lot was blacked out, I still got the chills. My guard is never down even at WDW. My DS11 goes no where without either myself or my DH. No matter what this mans intent was, it got foiled and thank god for that. What goes around comes around and he is going to run into the wrong person one day and rightly so. People like this make me physically ill.