Woman fights back after attack on MSVU campus

A Mount Saint Vincent University student says the school could be doing more to protect students after a woman was attacked on campus earlier this week.

Halifax Regional Police are investigating after a report that a man grabbed a woman in a parking area. Olivia Hernden, a first year student, wrote a post on Facebook calling for stepped up security measures on campus.

"I don't want women to have to go through this at a place where we're supposed to be here just to get an education," Hernden told CBC News.

'We just want to be safe'

"We don't want to be afraid when we're walking outside between classes or at night coming home from the gym or library. We just want to be safe."

Police were called to the Halifax campus at 12:46 a.m. Monday for a report that a man grabbed a woman from behind. It happened in a parking lot behind the Birch residence near a campus mechanical building at around 12:30 a.m. 

After the woman was grabbed, she struck the man, police said. He then ran away.

Keys between knuckles

In her post, Hernden wrote about staying on the phone with a friend as she walks between different parts of the campus out of fear.

"We've had times where we'd have conversations about how you could carry your keys in between your knuckles and if you had to punch or something, you wouldn't break your hand," said Hernden.

"And that's not a conversation I feel like I should have to have just about walking back from the library at 10:30 at night."

Police seek tips

Police say they're looking for a white man who was wearing a dark grey sweater, dark blue jeans and white Vans running shoes. 

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 902-490-5016. Anonymous tips can be sent to Crime Stoppers by calling toll-free 1-800-222-8477, or by submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca.

Const. Carol McIsaac said there's no evidence to suggest the incident is related to another attack on the campus in October, when a man pulled a woman into a wooded area on campus and sexually assaulted her. No charges were laid in that case.

Hernden said she does not know either the woman who was attacked this week or another woman who was attacked in October.

What MSVU is doing

MSVU vice-president Brian Jessop said new safety and security measures will be added after the recent attack.

"Around the residence location we have another 20 to 25 cameras planned for installation.… We'll take a look at that plan with the recommendations and suggestion from the students and look for areas that we might not have highlighted," Jessop said.

Since the October incident, Jessop said there has been an "open dialogue" on campus about the prevention of sexual violence.

"We also did a review of the campus for lighting and safety with our students and staff. Since that time, we have cut down trees from walkways to improve visibility and to allow lighting to penetrate areas better," Jessop said.