San Francisco police are investigating a report that a child was sexually assaulted last week in a Golden Gate Park restroom.
According to the SFPD, officers responded to the park around 5:30 p.m. Thursday after a child was attacked in a restroom. San Francisco Youth Soccer confirmed that the child was attending a team practice.
“Investigators are working diligently on this high-priority case,” an SFPD spokesperson said. “This is an active investigation that is moving rapidly, and we hope to have an update promptly.”
As of Monday, police had yet to announce an arrest or provide a description of a suspect.
In response to the incident, the Recreation and Parks Department said the city installed a security camera and assigned a park ranger to patrol around the bathroom from 3 to 5 p.m. on weekdays, when kids are usually in the area for after-school sports.
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However, when The Standard visited the Polo Fields on Monday afternoon, no security presence was visible near the public restrooms, and there was no signage indicating that an assault had occurred.
Rec and Parks said it has advised soccer leagues to have players use the restrooms in groups of two or three. The SFPD said it has assigned more cops to patrol the Richmond after the incident.
Rec and Parks issued a community advisory three days after the alleged attack urging people to send tips with relevant information to ranger dispatch at (415) 242-6390 or to the SFPD at (415) 575-4444.
“We are devastated by this incident,” the advisory says. “Everyone in San Francisco deserves to play sports safely, and every parent deserves confidence in their child’s safety. Protecting our players is our highest priority.”
Eloisa Tejero, interim executive director of San Francisco Youth Soccer, said she had received limited information.
“We were informed of the incident by a volunteer coach that was present at the field,” she said by email. “They had learned about the incident from another coach on the field.”
At a track meet at the fields Monday afternoon, parents of participating high schoolers were unaware of the reported assault.
“That’s disturbing,” said one mom, who said she was going to make a point to bring it up to her daughter after the meet. “They should put something on the bathrooms.”