Norwood Police Warn to Avoid Wooded Areas Following Playground Assault-July 24, 1980

CONTENT WARNING: This article contains mentions of sexual assault. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual misconduct, help is available 24/7 via the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.

The advisory followed a violent attack on a 15-year-old girl and verbal threats directed at two others in the woods adjacent to the Winslow School Playground on Friday afternoon.

According to police reports, an assailant described as standing approximately six feet tall with a good build, freckles covering his chest, and wearing a makeshift maroon ski mask confronted the girls near the playground’s stone wall brandishing a screwdriver. He forced the victims into the woods, where he compelled two to lie on the ground and forced the third to perform sexual acts.

The victims delayed reporting the harrowing incident to their parents until Sunday because the attacker explicitly threatened to “get them” if they spoke out. Four Norwood detectives are actively leading the ongoing investigation. Chief James Curran urged community members to remain vigilant and report any suspicious individuals loitering near parks or wooded trails.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger