‘Battered and bruised’ assault victim recalls Prospect attack

For Jamie (not her real name), Saturday, 10 Sept. marked the day the reality of crime hit home, leaving her with scars – both physical and psychological – from fighting off a would-be robber.

“I’m battered and bruised for sure. It’s gonna take me a little while [for] the physical kind of bruises and things to heal, but it really could have been far worse,” she said as she spoke with the Cayman Compass Tuesday morning, adding that, “I’m safe overall and I’ve got a lot of support around me. I wouldn’t want anything like this to change my routine at all.”

The Prospect resident, who requested anonymity as the matter is being investigated by the police, was attacked on Saturday night inside her car, just metres from her home.

Though the whole experience has shaken her, she said it has not left her so fearful that she cannot function.

“Someone’s not gonna drive me out of my routine. If anything, that’s gonna make me feel very much more aware… The realities are that even in [the] spaces that you feel safe or places that you feel are familiar like your workplace or your home place, or a frequent place that you might go, it’s easy for us to let our guard down,” she said.

Jamie said it could happen to anyone.

An attack out of nowhere

With two black eyes and a gash across one of her eyes, Jamie’s face tells the story of her attack.

Everything happened so quickly, she said, that it almost didn’t seem real at first.

“I was assaulted pretty quick into the situation. It wasn’t like it was prolonged. As soon as we had engaged, I had been injured. I just wasn’t sure what was happening,” she said.

According to police reports, the incident occurred between 9pm and 9:40pm.

Jamie said she had just parked and was on a phone call when an unknown man approached her vehicle, opened her car door and attempted to rob her.

They struggled, during which time, she said, he was punching her in the face after ambushing her.

I was just trying to… [figure] out how I [could] get myself out of it in the safest fashion.

She said her training and survival mode kicked in and she knew she had to fight back.

“I was just trying to… [figure] out how I [could] get myself out of it in the safest fashion,” she said, adding that she kicked her attacker to get him away from her.

The suspect fled on foot. Police are still searching for him.

Jamie said her neighbours came to her rescue and she sought medical treatment.

Looking back, she said she wants her experience to help serve as a reminder to other women to always be aware of their surroundings.

“My appeal to ladies is we just need to be just a little more mindful,” she said, noting that incidents like this have been happening “a little bit more in Cayman in the last few years, alarmingly”.

She expressed uncertainty that this situation would change for the better any time soon, “with [the] hardships that are going on in our society right now”.

Though she does not fear that there will be a second attempt against her by her attacker, she hopes that there is a way to find the person responsible.

“I know that’s not always very successful here and that can be very frustrating,” she said, adding if perpetrators aren’t caught, “[H]ow do we make this better? How do we make it something that is [preventable]?… [H]ow as a community [do we respond]? Maybe better lighting, maybe better community watches.”

Disappointed by lack of support for pepper spray

Jamie said it is upsetting that women in Cayman are being denied access to things like pepper spray to protect themselves, especially when there has been a visible increase in attacks against them.

She pointed to the attack earlier this year on Oddy Grullon, who was on her morning run in South Sound, as an example.

She said when she heard that the idea of pepper spray was shelved some time ago and again more recently, it was “disappointing”.

“There are places all over the world that allow [the use of pepper spray] and it does give a level of safety and it does give a level of reassurance. I don’t know why anyone would want to deter things that make people feel more safe and secure, especially if it’s something… as simple as a pepper spray,” she said, adding she was permitted to carry it when living in other countries.

Just last week Infrastructure Minister Jay Ebanks said he had been unable to get support from either the National Security Council or the police to advance changes to the law that would allow the introduction of pepper spray to Cayman.

Jamie said she hopes the law changes as the women of Cayman need protection, in addition to staying alert and aware at all times.

She said she was grateful for the action of the police and the response following her assault.

Her experience has led to some positive steps, she said, such as improved street lighting in the area and more patrols.

Once again she expressed her hope that if one good thing results from her ordeal, it is that women become more alert to their surroundings.

“Not just women… young ladies, girls, all of us… It’s just the world we live in right now,” she said.

Suspect still at large

Police said the suspect is described as being of dark complexion and was wearing a dark mask and dark clothing.

The matter is currently under investigation and anyone who may have witnessed the incident or seen anything/anyone suspicious in the area between 9pm and 9:45pm is asked to contact George Town CID at 949-4222.

Anonymous tips can be provided directly to the RCIPS Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777, or via the police website.