If you have elderly family members who are living alone, you may sometimes feel concern for their well being. Are they managing to do their laundry, groceries, and cook meals? Such are some of the common concerns one might have.
A perhaps least likely concern one might have for an elderly relative is “will they be able to protect themselves against rape?” And, well, that’s normal.
Needless to say, I was thus stunned when I discovered the story about a man that broke into an 88-year-old’s home … and attempted to rape her.
Helen Reynolds, 88, was alone in her home when a young man knocked on her door, claiming he was a neighbor. He asked her for a glass of water.
The man then pushed into her apartment and began rummaging through her things, seeking to rob her. He stole $40 from her purse… but he did not stop there. He duck taped Helen’s mouth and hands, then removed her clothes. It was clear he intended to rape her.
Helen tried to kick the man between the legs, but when she failed, she knew she had to use her head. That’s when she came up with three magic words to get the man to stop and soon flee: “I have HIV.”
“I told him I had HIV, and my husband died of it. It was a lie,” the quick-thinking 88-year-old told NBC.
The man left Helen’s apartment, and there are yet to be any arrests in connection to the crime.
“I do not have anything good to say about him. Nothing. Put the idiot in prison and keep him there,” Helen adds.
Watch the below news report about the incident.
It’s absolutely appalling that there are madmen such as the one in this story out there, but thankfully, Helen’s quick thinking saved her. The story she made up is something more women can surely try in the rare event that such an incident would happen to them. Please share this story with others to share this advice and also, to pay tribute to this brave 88-year-old.
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