Students involved in series of assaults over summer break
Three incidents involving assaults on University students has raised awareness of safety issues in York after dark.
During the summer break, one student was attacked during a robbery, another suffered a violent attack on her doorstep, while last week a group of students were involved in a violent incident with local youths.
On July 18, a 21-year-old Economics student, who was attacked and robbed in Retreat Lane around midnight, suffered a head injury and was taken to hospital after being found unconscious
The attacker, who is believed to have been travelling on a bicycle and wearing a white hooded top, approached the student and “pushed her to the ground and knocked her unconscious,” according to a spokesman for North Yorkshire Police.
The University described the incident as “nasty”. “We would appeal for anybody who has any information about this incident to contact the police. This incident underlines the need for vigilance at night,” said a spokesperson.
The student, whose handbag was stolen during the attack, was discovered by two other students who raised the alarm. Vanbrugh Provost Dave Efird, who accompanied the student home from hospital, described it as a “disturbing incident”.
“Students should be vigilant when walking late at night, particularly when alone… [and] should not use Retreat Lane at night because it is particularly isolated,” Efird advised.
In an unrelated incident, third year Environmental Sciences student Rob Glendhill was left injured after an attack during the early hours of October 8.
Glendhill was walking home from the city along Walmgate when he was confronted by three men. Glendhill was punched three times in the face, and his two companions were chased.
Third year Economics student Richard de Boltz was amongst the group, and spoke of the attack: “Three guys were waiting together, looking to pick on students with the aim of starting a fight. They hit Rob and chased the rest of us down the street.”
“The three men, who were waiting on the street, saw us coming and began to shout verbal abuse at us, with phrases such as “what are you looking at?” Once I’d replied that we were not looking at anything, one of them turned and punched me in the face,” added Glendhill.
The attack has been reported to the police, who are looking into a series of recent attack in the area. It is believed that the men are from Tang Hall, and have taken to waiting in the early hours with the aim of preying on those heading home.
A third attack occurred on September 13, when a hooded youth punched a hole in a York student’s front door following an early-morning altercation.
Natasha Burke, a 20 year-old student living in Heworth was approached by a man and woman on her doorstep at 4.30 AM after letting in her housemate.
The man, described as between 18 and 21, asked to use her cooker to light his cigarette. As she closed the door on him, he began pounding his fist on the door. He then punched through the stained glass window of the door before running off.
“I was shaking; I just couldn’t believe what had just happened,” Burke said
Charlie Leyland, YUSU Academic and Welfare Officer said she was “very concerned” to hear about the attacks, and advised students to stay alert at all times.
“I don’t want everyone to panic about this as [attacks of this nature are] extremely rare, though I would urge students to always travel in groups if at night, certainly not with headphones in which leaves you very unaware of your surroundings,” she said.
Leyland also praised the recent decision by FirstYork to introduce a £2 night bus return which she hopes will mean that fewer students will choose to walk to and from campus late at night.
Leave a Reply
Related Posts
Popular This Week
Polls
Loading ...