Woman at Lower Merion Meeting Accuses Police Officer of Sexual Assault

A young woman made criminal accusations against two Lower Merion Township police officers at a Board of Commissioners meeting Wednesday night, alleging that she had been sexually assaulted by one officer more than a year ago and then illegally detained by another officer when she reported the incident to the police department.

As Lower Merion Township Police Superintendent Michael McGrath was leaving the meeting, a Patch reporter asked him whether he knew of the allegations against members of his police department.

McGrath replied, “The police department will look to fully address the accusations made.”

Due to the nature of the incident, the woman declined to give her name or home address to the board when she stood at the podium, accompanied by a friend, during a public-comment portion of the meeting.

The young woman said an officer had sexually assaulted her, then stalked her and assaulted her at her home for a month.

When the woman reported the officer to the Lower Merion Police Department, she said she was stopped the next day and allegedly illegally detained by another police officer, who was a friend of the officer she had accused of assaulting her, the woman said. She did not elaborate on whether police "stopped" her while driving.

“I know I’m not the first and I know I’m not the last,” the woman said.  “This is something that has been troubling me for over a year now.”

The woman said she was not seeking money or retribution by coming forward: “I’m just seeking justice."

She told the board she was willing to provide names and details about the incident.

After the woman made her comments, she sat down and her friend who had been standing next to her, Andy Meyers, remained at the podium to speak on her behalf.

Meyers said the alleged assault of his friend was by “a married Lower Merion police officer, 20 years her senior.”

“This young woman has shown incredible courage to come forward,” Meyers said.  “I understand they’re just allegations, but they’re very, very serious allegations.”

Several commissioners said the young woman’s allegations must be taken seriously and they urged her to report the incident to the district attorney’s office.

“You are very brave coming up,” Commissioner Jenny Brown said.  “We will insure justice is done, that justice is served.  And I’m sorry you had to come forward in our meeting to get the attention of this board.”