New Year's Rape at East Side Bar

An 18 year old upstate girl in the city for a New Year's party at the Carriage House Bar on East 59th Street was raped in the bathroom. According to the police, she blacked out during the party and found herself in a bathroom having sex; Newsday reported:

The bouncer at the bar, the Carriage House Bar on East 59th Street, broke up the attack, apparently mistaking the rape for consensual sex and telling the 18-year-old victim and the suspect to put their clothes back on, police said. The victim, who is from Saratoga Springs upstate, left with a male friend, who took her to Lenox Hill Hospital. The friend then returned to the bar, where the suspect was still partying. The friend confronted the suspect, who shoved the friend and ran off, police said.

The Post actually have a photograph of the Carriage House Bar bathroom and adds that the victim was not only drunk but high on coke as well as a "college preppy" who arrived with other friends in a limo. The bar's owner Hamid Izam tells the Post that he thought the party's organizer was over 21 and was told that all the attendees would be over 21; Izam was given a citation.

Photograph from the NY Post

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By Jen Chung in News on January 3, 2006 11:23 AM

Comments [rss]

Karen

A friend of mine was slipped a mickey on a bar once, didn't know it, but felt sick. The door to the parking lot was closer than the ladies room, so she got outside, to vomit. She passed out, was robbed, beaten and raped by three guys, one of whom saw what was going on, and just joined in the fun. Someone saw the end of it, and called the cops, who told the ER personnel to test her for every drug they could think of, recreational and otherwise. Of course, they came up with one of the date rape drugs (which the cops suspected would be found), and its a good thing they tested for it right away because the one they found, metabolizes out of the body quickly. The next day could have been too late to test for it. Anyway, a local paper got ahold of the fact that she had a drug in her system, and printed that she'd been "on drugs," and implied she was a coke head, or on heroin. This being a small town, word got around, and of course, it was all her fault. When the guys who did this to her were caught, the DA actually tried to have them charged with misdemeanors, not felonies, because of the publicity. My friend held fast, and made sure the charges were rape and more serious felony assault charges, not misdemeanors. I mean, misdemeanors don't leave you with a punctured lung, broken ribs, fractured cheekbones and nose and jaw, as well as a ruptured spleen, as well as the usual injuries associated with rape. The 3 guys were convicted, but only after two guys on the jury had to be convinced that they had slipped my friend the drug, not that she had taken it willingly.

So everytime I hear a story like this, I wonder.

As a word of caution, even if you're in a bar you know, don't let your drink out of your hand. If you get up to dance, go to the restroom, turn away to talk to someone, get a fresh drink. What happened to my friend, happened in a pretty upscale bar, with a "nice" reputation.

Jake

I passed out drunk on the street once. I wasn't raped, (I think), but I did have my wallet, phone and keys stolen. Whoever stole them was a bastard, but I was a drunk idiot.

rev pays

I see another Law and Order story.

wait, weren't these done and re done over a million times on that show? I wonder what the L and O spin would be?

that's a pretty spacious bathroom, for sure.

ethos

Wow, I'm sure glad to hear that no one here's ever gotten high or drunk before! And if you did, I'm sure you'd understand if somebody beat the sh!t outa you, slashed your face & stole your wallet, jewelry and nice gold watch, 'cause you know, you share the blame, after all.

please

I bet these were rich, white, NYC kids who go to school at Skidmore in Saratoga. They are all notorious coke heads.

The guy is a scumbag for sure - but I'm doubting the girl was passed out. Even when you are black out drunk, you can often appear 'in control'.

Personal safety and responsibility is such a pain in the ass, innit?

Tim N.

Proving once again that stupidity begets stupidity, the guy goes back to the bar... without a cop? Like what were you gonna do, hero, take him down yourself? Now the guy is back on the street, but he could have been in Rikers.

I don't care how high you get, nobody deserves what happened to this girl. But people, please, if you can't handle the city, don't come to the city, okay?

homeopt

I guess Nicky is one of those people who believe personal responsibility is someone else's job. Hope that guy doesn't run into you one day.

bart

I'm just curious who the owner gave the citation to.

hr

if you jog through central park at 4am you share the blame. if you get too drunk & high in public, you share the blame. irresponsible is irresponsible.

Chriswell Says

I predict this thread will go on forever.

dhex

"Just another case of having to make her seem somewhat responsible for being raped."

or to illustrate just how fucking stupid it is to get so hammered in public you cannot defend yourself.

perhaps a bit of both, mind you.

Nicky

Of course the Post had to point out that the victim was drunk and high. Just another case of having to make her seem somewhat responsible for being raped.

smitty

probably won't. this kinda stuff happens a lot at nyc dance clubs as well.

S.D.

Very Scary. Hope they catch that guy.

k-rock

Oh, come on, if she was really "high on coke" she probably wouldn't be passed out. Heroin, yes.

As someone who has, in fact, passed out in bathrooms before, this is scary.