Saturday’s horrific knifepoint rape in Central Park was the fifth sex attack in the iconic green space so far this year, leaving locals terrified. A woman was approached by an armed thug around 8:30 p.m. near East 67th Street and Fifth Avenue, dragged into a wooded area in the famous Manhattan park and sexually assaulted before her attacker fled, authorities said. [snip] “I typically avoid coming to Central Park at night,” admitted Jetmir Shala, a 37-year-old resident manager who lives nearby, to The Post. “I mean, look, I’m 6-6, 240 [pounds], you know? I can defend myself. But the thing is, if it’s my wife, I tell her to stay away. [snip] NYPD crime statistics show that the latest attack was the fifth since the start of the year inside the department’s Central Park Precinct — up from three rapes in the same region by this time last year.Detectives comb the area for potential clues. Robert Miller for NY Post Citywide rape reports have meanwhile increased nearly 3%, with 1,693 through Oct. 18 this year compared to 1,650 over the same span in 2025. Rapes and subway and hate crimes have bucked the citywide trend that has seen most major crimes dropping, including historic lows in assaults and murders. [snip] Locals around Central Park said vagrants tend to take over benches in some sections of the city oasis, while blind spots along several paths make it a risky proposition to venture on them, particularly at night. “I’ve been coming to New York for most of my life, and I just have been told over the years to never go in the park at dark,” said retired executive Shirley Kessel, 65. “That’s how I grew up thinking. [snip] “At night, when I walk my dog, I go around the corner,” she said. “I try not to walk next to the park.” A 42-year-old Manhattanite who asked to remain anonymous said it’s not just about the park. [snip] Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement, “All crimes are tragedies, and we are working hard with the NYPD to drive down every incident like this. “It’s not acceptable. It’s not acceptable. People should feel safe when they go to our parks.” (*) Full article: (*) Full article: https://nypost.com/2026/10/25/us-news/latest-central-park-rape-is-fifth-in-green-space-this-year/ Post navigation Chinese Scientists Keep Poisoning People in North America ‘Make America Safe Again’: New crime numbers show dramatic drop after Trump’s 1st year of 2nd term
