Woman Assaulted on River 'Safe Path'

An indecent assault in broad daylight along one of the University's designated safety paths last weekend is causing concern among Harvard administrators.

On Saturday around 10:45 a.m., a man on a bike approached a University employee walking on the path behind Leverett Towers, grabbed her breast and fled down Banks Street on his bicycle.

The victim, who reported the indecent assault and battery Monday evening, described her assailant as a heavyset 40-year-old male wearing a thick red parka and green pants. The victim said that the incident unfolded so quickly that she never saw the face of her attacker.

The description is notable for the heavy winter jacket worn by the assailant, said Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) spokesperson Peggy A. McNamara.

HUPD issued a community advisory concerning the attack yesterday, its first of the school year.

HUPD plans additional patrols in the area over the coming weekend, McNamara said.

The delay in reporting Saturday's assault has hampered HUPD's response to the incident. McNamara stressed that victims of crimes should report incidents as soon as possible.

"We can flood the area with mountain bikes, unmarked and marked units," she said.

The Leverett path, part of the University's "safe path" system, is well-lit during the night and contains several blue light emergency phones.

McNamara said the incident seems to be a random event rather than part of a larger string of attacks. HUPD detectives have been in contact with local law enforcement agencies this week to determine whether any similar assaults have occurred recently.

While the River area was the scene of several major incidents this summer, including two armed robberies, none of the incidents seem to be related to Saturday's assault.

HUPD asks anyone with information about the assault to contact Detective Amy Schlosberg at (617) 496-3223.