Witnesses intervene after woman sexually assaulted on Guelph street

The Guelph Police Service says a 19-year-old man is charged with sexually assaulting a woman on a busy street. CTV’s Krista Simpson reports.

Guelph Police said a 19-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly followed a woman, pulled down her pants and sexually assaulted her in front of witnesses.

“At approximately 3:45 p.m. on Monday afternoon, the Guelph Police Service began receiving a number of 911 calls from members of the public, all of them reporting what appeared to be a woman being attacked by a male,” said police spokesperson Scott Tracey.

Officers learned the man had followed the woman for a short distance and then, while she was waiting at a crosswalk near Speedvale Avenue West and the Hanlon Expressway, pulled her pants down from behind. The man then knocked the woman to the ground and sexually assaulted her.

“This was in full view of a large number of motorists, and others who were in the area, some of whom intervened quite quickly,” Tracey explained. “Once they realized what was going on, they sounded their horns… which caused him to stop what he was doing and get up and run away. A number of those bystanders were able to get to her, provide her assistance and call police and emergency medical services.”

The victim, a woman in her 20s, was taken to the hospital.

“She sustained fairly minor physical injuries, fortunately, and obviously very severe trauma as a result of this happening. That is something, obviously, she continues to deal with, and we’ll offer her whatever supports we’re able to,” said Tracey. “Perhaps, because of the quick intervention of the witnesses, I understand that the physical injuries were relatively minor in this circumstance.”

Even though the man took off before officers arrived on scene, he was caught on multiple surveillance cameras at nearby businesses.

From that, police were able to identify him as a 19-year-old Guelph man and he was arrested later that night.

He’s been charged with both assault and sexual assault.

Tracey praised the quick response from the community.

“It’s very disturbing for the Guelph Police Service and, frankly, for the whole community, to have something like this happen, especially in the circumstances it did – the middle of the afternoon, on a very busy intersection and in full view of any number of bystanders,” he told CTV News. “We’re obviously grateful to those who intervened as they did, to prevent [the assault] from being even worse, and those who provided information and were able to help with making an arrest fairly shortly afterwards.”