Cannot comment on sexual assault case: St. John's police

Last Updated: Thursday, July 19, 2007 | 7:37 AM NT

CBC News

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is refusing to comment on e-mails about a sexual assault reported two weeks ago at a St. John's home.

At a forum on Tuesday night, the RNC came in for criticism for not revealing more detail about an investigation launched two weeks ago, when a Circular Road woman reported a sexual assault in her home.

Const. Paul Davis said if the RNC spoke about its Circular Road investigation, it could compromise its work and further hurt the victim.
(CBC)

Police said at the time the woman did not know her attacker, who reportedly forced himself into her home.

Two subsequent e-mails have circulated around the city, but with differing accounts of whether the attack was random.

Const. Paul Davis says officers will neither confirm nor deny any of the details in the notes.

"We're not willing to discuss the details of those e-mails," he told reporters late Wednesday afternoon.

"For me to get into any parts of facts that are contained in those e-mails [will] cause me to start to get into a discussion of specific details of the incident, as we know it to be, and, potentially, knowledge that's exclusive to the perpetrator and the person who's reported this assault."

Davis said the RNC cannot confirm whether the attack was random, or whether the victim was targeted.

"To discuss an active investigation in such detail could not only likely compromise the investigation, it could certainly re-victimize the complainant, and cause us to enter into a public discussion on a very traumatic experience," he said.

Meanwhile, police are warning the public to be vigilant about locking their doors, and to take other safety precautions.