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Sexual assault: the SPVG is actively seeking a suspect and witnesses
Gatineau, July 7, 2020. – The Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau (SPVG) is investigating a sexual assault that occurred on July 6 around 4:30 a.m. in the Hull sector of Gatineau.
Quick facts
| ● | The SPVG is calling on the public in Gatineau and Ottawa to help identify the suspect in this assault. |
| ● | SPVG police officers intervened near the Canadian Museum of History in the case of a woman who was allegedly assaulted as she was walking alone. |
| ● | The woman was allegedly grabbed near the Alexandra Bridge, and physically and sexually assaulted by the suspect. |
| ● | The suspect would have been on foot, walking in the same area as the victim, on the Alexandra Bridge pedestrian walkway in the early hours of the morning. |
| ● | The investigators are looking for a suspect fitting the following description:
- A male, with black or dark skin, in his twenties, thin and approximately 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 metres) tall.
- The suspect spoke French and English.
- The suspect was wearing dark clothes at the time of the assault.
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| ● | The SPVG asks anyone who was in the area delineated (see map) below between 2 and 5 a.m. on July 6 to contact investigators at 819-243-INFO (4636):
- Rue Laurier, between boulevard Sacré-Coeur and the Portage Bridge;
- Bike paths along the Museum and under the Alexandra Bridge; and
- Boulevard Maisonneuve between Laurier and Sacré-coeur, and in the surroundings.
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| ● | In addition, the SPVG asks anyone in the sector who heard anything unusual or abnormal at the time of the crime, or who saw someone suspicious matching the description to contact investigators. |
| ● | Following the assault, the SPVG stepped up security in the sector and increased police presence. |
| ● | For the time being, in light of the information, this appears to be an isolated incident. However, the SPVG urges everyone to be extra cautious. |
Personal safety tips | ● | Let someone you trust know where you are, where you are going, and your schedule. |
| ● | Walk along busy and well-lit streets, stay in open areas, and avoid wooded areas. |
| ● | Carry a whistle you can use in an emergency. |
| ● | Avoid wearing earbuds when out and about as they could prevent you from hearing what's going on around you. |
| ● | Familiarize yourself with the emergency services, devices and numbers in the areas you are in, as well as along the routes you take (e.g. emergency or panic buttons, public phones, etc.). |
| ● | Carry valuables in your pockets rather than in your handbag. |
If you think that you are being followed: | ● | Keep your cool. Do not show that you are scared. |
| ● | Head towards a well-lit and busy area, turn to the suspicious individual and shout “Stop following me!” |
| ● | If the person tries to rob you, throw your things at him/her and get away as fast as you can. |
| ● | Blow your whistle or trigger any other sound device. If necessary, shout “fire” instead of “help”. |
| ● | Try to remember the person's physical characteristics or those of the suspicious vehicle (size, weight, age, tattoos, scars, licence plate, colour and model of car, etc.) |
| ● | In an emergency, call 9-1-1. |
If anyone believes they have information related to this incident, please contact the SPVG Infoline at 819-243-INFO (4636).
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