The only Muslim woman in the Connecticut General Assembly spoke on Thursday for the first time after being the victim of an assault following a service that marked Eid al Adha in downtown Hartford last week.
“I thought I was going to die,” said state Representative Maryam Khan, who was with her three children and her sister when she experienced the attempted sexual assault and violent physical assault outside the XL Center where the Eid al Adha service was held.
She’s concerned about the shoddy treatment she received from the Hartford Police and emergency personnel who responded.
“All I kept thinking about these last few days is what happened to women in the city of Hartford that call the police when they are assaulted when they experience what I experienced?” Khan said.
“When they experience sexual assault? When they experience physical assault, what happens? Because if this is what’s happening to me and this is the best we can do, as a state representative that represents the city of Hartford, I cannot be OK with that,” Khan continued.
That’s why she’s seeking a U.S. Justice Department investigation of the Hartford Police Department.
“We were screaming for help. Nobody came. I cannot be that broken. It should not be that broken, I won't accept that. So I am going to call on our Department of Justice to do an investigation into how the city of Hartford’s police department responds to violent crimes, especially violent crimes on women,” she said.
The Hartford Police Department said it is actively investigating the incident.
Andre Desmond, a 30-year-old New Britain resident, was arrested in connection with the assault.
