HomeA 12-year-old girl was sexually assaulted at a bus stop in Pasadena, California on the morning of November 21, 2024.
The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. in the 300 block of North Lake Avenue. The girl was sitting on a bus bench on her way to school when a man sat next to her and groped her. The man then left the area on a bicycle. The girl boarded the bus and reported the incident to school officials upon arrival.
The Pasadena Police Department was notified, and detectives obtained security camera footage of the incident. On November 23, 2024, a 57-year-old man from Palmdale was arrested in connection with the crime. He was being held on a $150,000 bond. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/pasadena-bus-stop-sexual-assault/3567842/
Commentary
The accusation is that the perpetrator was a stranger who sexually abused a child at a public bus stop while sitting next to her. Abuse by strangers is very rare. Most victims know their abuser and most sexual abuse of children is committed in private.
Here are some important statistics"
- Approximately 90 percent of children who are victims of sexual abuse know their abuser.
- About 60 percent of children who are sexually abused are abused by people the family trusts.
Even if rare, a child safe environment strives to prevent these and all types of crimes against children.
To address this type of harm, it is important to teach children to be vocal and resistant when touched inappropriately. The victim did report, but had the victim yelled at the stranger to stop touching her, other adults may have intervened, if anywhere nearby.
The final takeaway is that strangers do commit abuse. Even though we can ask children to help protect themselves, children still need caring adults to report and/or intervene.
