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On Monday, March 13, a video was released of a 15-year-old teen with autism being attacked by strangers on a Manhattan subway.
Trigger warning: This article is about a violent assault
The disturbing footage shows the 15-year-old being pulled from his hoodie as he is heading towards the Manhattan subway. Once the teen enters a subway car, the girl can repeatedly be heard screaming, "Get off."
Once the girl drags the teen back onto the platform, a group of young adults can be seen crowding around him, with many showering him with blows as he attempts to cover up. The video then abruptly cuts off.
Officials investigate the Manhattan subway assault
In an official statement, New York City Transit President Richard Davey said that authorities are currently attempting to apprehend the suspects behind the attack.
Davey said:
“This video is heartbreaking and disturbing and our hearts are with the young man seemingly being senselessly victimized. No one should be subject to this sort of hateful harassment while they are riding with New York City Transit, and the MTA is fully cooperating with the NYPD in its investigation into the incident.”
The victim's mother told WABC that she was unaware of the motive behind the attack. She added that her son has high-functioning autism and that all she knew was that he had left their Queens home on the evening of the attack. She quickly discovered that he was receiving medical care for his wounds in an Upper Manhattan hospital.
Subway violence in New York
During a Manhattan news conference, Governor Kathy Hochul said that crime in the New York Subway system dropped by approximately 16% between October 2022 and January 2023. This announcement was a welcoming one, as CNN reported that in 2022, Subway crime had seen a 40% rise. Authorities said, however, that they were en route to bringing it down to normal levels.
She said:
“That is a trend that we can feel good about. as long as that continues to hold.”
Christopher Herrmann, an associate professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, also discussed crime levels with the New York Times. He said that while the dip in transit crime rates is promising, officials need to see how the situation seems over the next few months.
He said:
“They can certainly pat themselves on the back for a couple months of good numbers. But we’re going to have to kind of wait and see how things play out during the year.”
The Manhattan assault, however, indicates that crime persists as an issue in the New York transit system. The incident currently remains under investigation by New York authorities. No arrests have been announced.
