The Daily Press

Official: Narrative of riders filming train rape is false

By Claudia Lauer

Timothy Bernhardt told reporters over the weekend there were passengers present who “should have done something,” in his opinion.

Nevertheless, Stollsteimer said Thursday “the narrative that there is a group of people callously filming and didn’t act, is simply not true.” He added that witnesses of the attack could share information without fear of being charged.

He said Wednesday that Pennsylvania law does not allow for the prosecution of someone for simply witnessing a crime.

Surveillance video shows two passengers holding phones up toward the assault, Stollsteimer said. One of those people provided video to authorities as part of the investigation, he said.

Requests by The Associated Press for surveillance video from the attack on the Market-Frankford line have been denied by SEPTA, citing the ongoing criminal investigation.

In an arrest affidavit for Ngoy, police said he boarded the train shortly after the woman, quickly sitting next to her, and repeatedly tried to touch and grope her over the next almost 40 minutes. Investigators say surveillance video also shows the woman pushing Ngoy away several times.

Ngoy, who told police he had seen the woman before and that the sexual encounter was consensual, is charged with rape and several related offenses and is being held on $180,000 bail. The woman, who was taken to the hospital, said she had never met Ngoy and did not give him permission to touch her.

A public defender assigned to represent Ngoy declined to comment, saying it was still very early in the case. A hearing is scheduled for Monday.

SEPTA Police Chief Thomas J. Nestel III’s best estimate was there were about 10 passengers in the close vicinity of Ngoy and the woman during the rape, which started about 9:52 p.m. and ended when SEPTA police pulled Ngoy off of the woman about 10 p.m., authority spokesman Andrew Busch said Wednesday.

An off-duty SEPTA employee was one of those 10 people. That employee alerted SEPTA police because he believed something wasn’t right with the interaction, Busch said. He praised the employee’s actions, saying he likely prevented Ngoy from being able to walk off the train and escape arrest.

Three minutes after the employee reported the assault, SEPTA officers stationed at the 69th Street terminal responded to the train car and stopped it.

An arrest for a separate sexual assault at the 69th Street terminal was also announced at the news conference Thursday. Bernhardt said a woman had missed her stop and asked the suspect how to get to the platform to go in the opposite direction. As he showed her, Bernhardt said he groped the woman and pushed her into a seclude area.

A passenger on the platform heard her screams for help and intervened. SEPTA police ultimately stopped the attack and took the man into custody. 108, which directs the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study on the impact of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking on Commonwealth students enrolled in grades 6 through 12 and beyond. We simply must begin having these discussions earlier in our students’ educational experience with the hope of having a positive impact as they transition to postsecondary institutions and through life. Thank you to Governor Wolf for his statewide initiative following the national It’s On Us campaign to involve everyone in preventing sexual assault.”

The first several weeks of the fall semester is commonly referred to as the “Red Zone” when sexual assault increases, especially among freshman women.

According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are more than 418,000 victims of sexual violence under age 18 in Pennsylvania. Nationwide, one in three female victims experience rape between the ages of 11 and 17 and one in four male victims experiencing rape before the age of 10.

“I am proud to stand here today with Governor Wolf, Pennsylvanian Students, and the legislators who will carry these bills in the Pennsylvania Legislature,” said Tracey Vitchers, executive director, It’s On Us. “These bills would strengthen the rights of students, and require colleges and universities, as well as K-12 schools across the commonwealth to do better by our youth and young adults. By passing these critical pieces of legislation we will make strides to prevent sexual assault and protect the rights of student survivors across the commonwealth.”

“The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape is grateful to join Governor Wolf in support of survivors of campus sexual assault. The It’s On Us legislative package will help strengthen sexual assault prevention and response on college campuses throughout the state and ensure students impacted by sexual assault and abuse have access to the support of rape crisis centers,” said Karen Baker, CEO, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.

Protecting students from violence and shifting to prevention strategies has been a priority for Gov. Wolf. After taking office the governor launched It’s On Us PA, the nation’s first statewide campaign to prevent assaults on campus.

In 2019, the governor signed two major laws from his It’s On Us campaign. The laws require colleges to provide an anonymous online option for students to report sexual assaults and protection for students reporting sexual assault from being disciplined for violating school drug, alcohol or other policies.

The governor has also provided $5 million in It’s On Us grants to 190 public and private post- secondary schools to help change the culture on campus. The Department of Education

is accepting applications for grants up to $30,000 through October 20, 2021.

Gov. Wolf invites everyone to take the It’s On Us PA pledge and play a role in ending sexual assault.

It’s On Us is a national initiative started by former President Barack Obama and then-Vice- President Joe Biden to raise awareness about sexual assault; teaching participants that assault includes nonconsensual sex, advising them on how to identify dangerous situations, empowering them to intervene, and urging them to create an environment of support for victims and survivors.

Classified

en-us

2021-10-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://thedailypress.pressreader.com/article/281672553146612

Alberta Newspaper Group