Jogger reports assault on Esplanade
A female jogger reported being assaulted on the Esplanade in downtown Boston Saturday night, continuing the spate of violence that has plagued the strip of land near the Charles River.
Around 9:45 p.m., a 31-year-old Cambridge woman approached a state trooper working a detail near the Museum of Science. She said she was running near the Community Boating building when three men surrounded her. They attacked, punching her twice in the head, before she was able to escape and run off, police said.
The victim was taken to the State Police barracks at Leverett Circle and treated by Boston emergency medical personnel.
Police are now hunting for the suspects, described as a group of eight men in their late teens or early 20s, said David Procopio, a State Police spokesman. The victim told police that the men had been sitting together when three of them approached and attacked her.
Police do not believe that this attack is related to the three other attacks on women on the Esplanade this year. No arrests have yet been made in those assaults.
“The profile of this incident differs from that of the three related unsolved sexual assaults on the Esplanade,” Procopio said. “In those other incidents, which were linked and in which sexual assaults were committed, victims reported a lone assailant.”
The Esplanade, best known as the site for Fourth of July concerts, has been a hazardous place for women in the recent past.
In April, a college student was sexually assaulted on a park bench by the Esplanade. In June, a 61-year-old woman was struck on the head and thrown in the Charles River. In August, another woman was assaulted and thrown in the river.
There have also been numerous other sexual assaults and rapes over the past four years.
“Women who use the Esplanade for recreational activities are reminded to be aware of their surroundings, to walk or run with a companion if possible, to stay in well-lit areas, and to carry a charged cell phone at all times,” Procopio said. “Anyone who feels threatened or uncomfortable, or who sees anything that does not look right, should immediately call 911 on a cell phone to be connected to a State Police dispatcher.”
State Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed Saturday night’s reported attack to call 617-727-6780.
Globe correspondent Jeff Fish contributed to this report. John M. Guilfoil can be reached at jguilfoil@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globe_guilfoil.
