Transgender woman alleges she was sexually assaulted at homeless shelter by a convicted rapist
A transgender woman has alleged that she was sexually assaulted in a homeless shelter by a convicted rapist.
The 31-year-old woman said that she had no choice but to find shelter at the Metropolitan Ministry’s Men’s Shelter in Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday.
The woman said she was “verbally attacked” for being transgender at the local women’s shelter, so she decided to seek refuge at the largest shelter in the city.
However, she says that while sleeping, she woke up to convicted felon Paris McCrary touching her groin while his pants were around his ankles, reports cleveland.com.
(Mark Makela/Getty)
He then proceeded to try and rip her fishnet stockings, she alleges.
The woman then notified a shelter supervisor who called the police and arrested McCrary, 50.
He has been charged with gross sexual imposition.
“It was wrong, sick, disgusting,” she said. “It was truly terrifying. Every time I pass a man on the street I’m scared,” she told said.
The woman said that she was left to negotiate the threat between being physically attacked or verbally assaulted.
She no longer wants to go back to the shelter and says that she is desperate to find work, reported the Ohio website.
“Women there are so cruel,” she said. “They treat all transgender people, not with physical attacks, but verbal attacks. That’s why there’s so many transgender people at the 2100 shelter. The men down there are generally more open. But then there’s the chance of physical attacks at that shelter.”
(Mark Makela/Getty)
The Metropolitan Ministry’s Men’s Shelter said that it was “disheartened” to hear of the attack, and they have now banned McCrary from the shelter.
“LMM is disheartened to hear of the allegations and we will continue to show our support for the resident who filed the report,” the shelter said in a statement.
“Our social services agency is committed to supporting and being responsive to the needs of the LGBTQ community and regularly provide staff training to aid in the safety of our transgender residents.”
(Getty)
In the US, one in five members of the transgender community do not know where they’re going to sleep tonight, reported Broadly.
McCrary was first convicted of raping a woman at gunpoint back in 1982.
He also robbed her after the incident.
As well as these offences, McCrary has been convicted of robbery, drug possession escape and failing to register his address as a sex offender.
