Woman seriously hurt after ‘group assault’ in downtown Calgary
Posted Oct 19, 2022 7:41 am.
Last Updated Oct 20, 2022 2:21 pm.
A woman is seriously hurt after what police are calling a “group assault” in Calgary’s downtown commercial district early Wednesday morning.
Officers say it happened around 12:30 a.m. when a woman was assaulted near 8 Avenue SW and 1 Street.
According to police, “this doesn’t appear to be a random act” and that it happened after “an altercation between two groups.”
Police say the woman was rushed to hospital in life-threatening condition and remains there.
It’s unclear if she knew her attackers.
Investigators are currently reviewing CCTV footage of the area, and did not release any descriptions of possible suspects.
Attack raises downtown safety concerns
The attack early Wednesday morning has raised concerns about the safety of the area.
Diana Trang, practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and owner and founder of Satori Wellness Studio, says she hears about women in dangerous situations downtown all the time. But, she says it happens all over the city as well.
“It’s actually not what most people think. Of course, there’s the evening, there’s the night, and early morning — like last night. But it’s in the middle of the day in affluent areas as well,” Trang said.
“Most people think it’s happening in a less affluent neighbourhood or community, but it happens everywhere.”
Trang says people should be aware of their surroundings at all times when out in public.
“Number one is just keep your head up and really pay attention, take the extra time,” Trang said. “Even for myself, I know downtown, or in different places [in the] day — night, I’ve avoided different situations just because I was paying attention.”
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