Candlelit Vigil Planned For Woman Who Said She Was Raped In A Portable Bathroom

GREENPOINT, BROOKLYN — There will be a candlelit vigil Thursday evening near the row of portable bathrooms where a woman said she had been raped by two men who were not charged with a crime.

The 26-year-old woman declined to press charges against two suspects who were apprehended by police Monday evening hours after she was found crying and shaking on Banker Street near Norman Avenue.

Police said there were “inconsistencies” in the woman’s story so the two men who were released and no charges were filed.

Greenpoint resident Emily Gallagher, 33, has organized a vigil because although she was “outraged” that the two men had not been arrested, she was not surprised.

“So often in these situations we put a ton of pressure on the accuser,” Gallagher told Patch in a conversation on Facebook Messenger. “People with PTSD or trauma cannot think clearly and our system doesn't accommodate.”

Gallagher was also angered by a report from DNAinfo that showed police had gathered a detailed account of the victim’s emotional history and drinking habits.

“The rape culture that we live in leaves us with a society that deems it appropriate to detail every reason why a woman was drunk, or that she struggles with depression in a police report,” said Gallagher.

“Women are a group of people that we just don't protect well, and we don't hold people accountable for violating or hurting them.”

The candlelit vigil is scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday on the corner of Banker Street and Norman Avenue to express solidarity with the the unidentified woman and others who are afraid to report sexual assault.

“Let's show the women in our community that we believe them, we support them, and we want justice for them,” Gallagher wrote in the announcement on Facebook.

“Light a candle, share a sign, and enjoy solidarity and peace with our neighbors as we stand together for a better future.”