Teen assaulted on Brantford walking trail: police
Brantford police say a man wearing a balaclava-like face covering sexually assaulted a teenager on a trail there last week, and they're warning the public while seeking surveillance footage from the area.
Police haven't released many details of what happened, but say the assault happened Thursday, May 16, between 5 and 7 p.m. on the walking trail between Veterans Memorial Parkway and Bell Lane. Police said the victim is 16 years old and reported it to police on Monday.
Brantford police's major crime unit and child abuse and sexual assault unit are "actively investigating this incident," said police in a release issued Tuesday.
They described the suspect as a man in his 20s or older, about five feet four inches tall, with brown skin, eyebrows and eyes. Much of his face was covered, police said.
The man may appear in surveillance footage of Shellard Lane, Bell Lane, Mt. Pleasant Street and Helen Avenue, police said.
Calls for safety measures on nearby trails last year
Trail safety was publicly discussed last year in nearby Hamilton, after police reported a number of sexual assaults on trails there in the last several years.
Hamilton police said last year they were increasing patrols. Some residents – including Tara McFadyen who was assaulted while running on Hamilton's James Street stairs in 2021 – have called for cameras to be installed along city trails and stairs. Other survivors and advocates have requested emergency phones, motion sensors and improved lighting.
City staff were working on a plan to implement safety measures on escarpment stairways last year, and in February, Ward 3 Coun. Nrinder Nann said some changes would be made in the short term, but more expensive projects, like installing cameras, might have to wait until 2024.
CBC Hamilton contacted the councillor and the city to ask for an update on these measures but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Miranda Jurilj, public education coordinator for the Sexual Assault Centre Hamilton and Area, said last year that increased surveillance isn't likely to prevent assaults.
"We know that for many communities, increasing surveillance equals a lack of safety and also surveillance in those cases really isn't a prevention method, but something to do after the fact," said Jurilj, who advocated for listening to survivors and addressing rape culture.
