A Castro merchant who was allegedly beaten and raped Friday night is the third victim to report being sexually assaulted in the city's gay neighborhood this year. The victim is speaking out publicly about his ordeal in order to alert the community and help other victims come forward and report their incidents to the police.
Mark Welsh, the manager of Rock Hard, left the store around 10:30 p.m. Friday, September 29 and walked to his car parked on Sanchez Street between 18th and Ford when he said two men approached him from behind. Welsh said he was hit on his head and fell to the ground.
Welsh said the men, described as black males in their mid to late 30s, 180 to 190 pounds and about 5 feet 10 inches to 5 feet 11 inches tall, called him "faggot" and demanded his wallet and jewelry. When he refused to hand over his valuables, he said the men began to kick and punch him.
"After calling me 'faggot' many times, they dragged me between two homes into a yard. That is when one got on top of me and the other was up toward my head," recalled Welsh. "At this point I am just kind of numb to it. I couldn't even scream at that point. I wanted to; I did earlier."
Welsh said the man on top of him then proceeded to sodomize him while the other forced him to perform oral sex. He said he believes after the one man ejaculated inside him, the assailants left.
"They kicked me one last time and then headed off. I wasn't able to catch what direction. I kept my eyes closed while that was happening. I kept thinking 'This isn't happening, this can't be happening,'" said the 50-year-old Welsh.
In shock and embarrassed, Welsh drove himself home and took a hot shower, not realizing he was discarding evidence from the assault. It was not until after he spoke to his partner in Chicago that he went to the hospital on Saturday and eventually called police.
"My first thought was to go home, rip the clothes off and throw them away, and shower forever," he said.
Initially, Welsh did not disclose being raped to either the hospital staff or Mission Station Sergeant Chuck Limbert, the police officer who took down his report. It was not until Sunday that he disclosed the sexual assault to Limbert. Monday he returned to the hospital to be checked for sexually transmitted diseases and begin post-exposure treatment for HIV.
Welsh, who was featured in a Daily Show segment in July that spoofed complaints about sexually explicit window displays in the Castro, plans to discuss what happened to him at this morning's (Thursday, October 5) Merchants of Upper Market and Castro meeting. He said he wants to share his story to help other victims know they are not alone.
"I was hoping by me coming forward with a face as opposed to an anonymous person it would help others who are too embarrassed to report their incidences in the neighborhood. My concern is for the safety of everyone around here in the future. I wouldn't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else," he said. "I am hoping that if this happened to other people, or any type of violent crime, they would come forward now so that the statistics are more accurate. One of the reasons I came forward is so people don't do what I was going to do initially, and that was not report it."
According to police, it is the third report of a sexual assault in the Castro in as many months. In July, a man claimed three men assaulted him after he left the Badlands bar. As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, the victim said he met a man outside the bar and began walking east on 18th Street with him. Two other men then joined them, and when they neared Hartford Street, the three men allegedly pushed the victim, a 27-year-old white male, through a gate and took turns sodomizing him.
The victim described the original man he met as an African American male, 30-35 years old, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, 140 pounds, and wearing a blue shirt at the time of the incident. The victim told police the other two men also were African American, both ranging in height from 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches.
In that instance, the police could not locate the gated fence the victim described and appealed to the public for help.
In the third case reported to police two months ago, a man alleged two men drugged his drink at a Castro bar and raped him. The assailants fit a similar description as in the other attacks, said one police source, but the victim reportedly moved away and opted not to file a formal complaint.
Lieutenant Dan Leydon with the police's sexual assault unit said that Welsh's and the July incident "do look very familiar." He urged victims of any sexual assaults to not only contact the police but go to the rape treatment center at San Francisco General Hospital in order for authorities to collect evidence.
"Without that and a timely response on making a report it that makes the follow-up investigation much, much more difficult," said Leydon. "Timeliness is very important to help the police catch these people. We don't care what situation a person put themself in, it does not make it right for them to be sexually assaulted."
Jane Warner, with the San Francisco Patrol Special Police in the Castro, said the LGBT community needs to be aware that three separate men have now reported sexual assaults in the Castro.
"This is a 'needs to know' as far as I am concerned with the community. I think there is a false sense of security in our neighborhood. People need to be aware of these kinds of things. They can happen to men and they can happen in our neighborhood," said Warner.
Through funding from the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District, Warner beefed up foot patrols at night three months ago near the intersection of Noe and 18th streets. An additional officer now patrols the area between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
"We have been concentrating not only foot patrols but drive-bys in front of the 7-Eleven and that area of 18th street. It seems to be a hot spot," said Warner.
The reports of the sexual assaults come a week after a front-page B.A.R. story highlighted growing worries about crime in the Castro and how the issue has surfaced as a key concern in the District 8 supervisor race. Despite police statistics that show no spike in violent crimes in the area of 18th Street and Castro, victims are increasingly speaking out about being assaulted in what many consider the city's safest neighborhood.
Tina D'Elia, the hate violence survivor program director at Community United Against Violence, said it is unusual to hear reports of sexual assaults against gay men that did not result from either an online hookup or meeting at a bar first. She stressed that victims of such crimes should not be ashamed to reach out for help and report the incidents to either the police or CUAV.
"My sense is there is an increase in violence but if we don't have a paper trail and things don't get reported then we can't build the community awareness and safety planning and training together," she said. "If CUAV doesn't hear about it and the police don't hear about it and the community doesn't hear about it, then there is no way we can collectively get the word out on a broader level. I do believe people can reduce harm and violence in terms of having an awareness."
In the instance of a sexual assault, D'Elia said victims can call CUAV's hotline at (415) 333-4357 or (333-HELP) or contact San Francisco Women Against Rape, which also works with male victims, at (415) 647-7273 or (647-RAPE). She also advised that the staff at San Francisco General Hospital's rape trauma program is specially trained to work with LGBT victims.
As for concerns about contacting the police's sex crimes unit, she gave it high marks when dealing with issues of rape within the LGBT community.
"I have found them to be very sensitive working with LGBT folks," she said.
In general, Warner recommended that people carry whistles; use a buddy system when walking late at night or use a taxi; and have the police dispatch number (553-8090) programmed into one's cell phone.
Welsh already has changed his normal behaviors in the Castro. After he closed his store Sunday night, he and a co-worker walked to his car together, and he drove the employee home.
"I am being more aware of my surroundings. I am turning around more. Plus, I still haven't been able to catch any sleep," he said. "It also makes you want to carry a gun at night."
Tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Eureka Valley Recreation Center CUAV, Triangle Martial Arts, and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are hosting a community safety training to help people learn how to better protect themselves.