Gulf Coast Running Club to Hold Safety Seminar After Attack

Police are still searching for the man who sexually assaulted a woman on the Biloxi Bay Bridge last week. While police investigate, women across the Coast are speaking out in protest of violence against women and are working together to learn how to be safe while exercising outside.

Every two minutes, an American is sexually assaulted, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Many may not think it can happen on the Coast, but just last week, a woman was raped on the Biloxi Bay Bridge. Nancy Phillips of the Gulf Coast Running Club says, "The situation that happened recently is not an isolated incident. It is happening from bridge to bridge, at night, during the day, in the morning, all the time."

While police continue to follow leads, a new organization, Gulf Coast Women Against Violence Everywhere (W.A.V.E.), is forming on the Coast in response to last week’s crime. Robin Cooley of Gulf Coast W.A.V.E. says, "It was just a group of women who heard what happened Friday night and we were enraged by and we wanted to turn that rage into something positive."

The organization is planning a walk Friday across the Biloxi Bay Bridge in support of the victim of last week’s attack, a woman who some have blamed for bringing it all on herself. Cooley also says, "That was what made me the angriest, and I think that’s a common thing that the victim gets blamed, and I don’t even think people realize that the comments they make are doing that."

W.A.V.E. reminds the public that victims are not to blame for sexual violence. To help women, the Gulf Coast Running Club is organizing a safety seminar to provide safety tips for women exercising outside.

Phillips says its best to walk or run with a buddy, but if you do have to run alone, either during the day or at night, it’s better to take one ear bud out or take both ear buds out while listening to music so you can be more aware of your surroundings. Phillips closes, "What we want to do is equip our ladies with some information that will put them in a safer, more comfortable atmosphere."

The safety seminar will take place in December. Anyone with information or tips about the assault is encouraged to call the Ocean Springs Police Department at (228) 875-2211.