Victim of assault near Warming Center was center guest
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MARQUETTE -- A Room at the Inn official in Marquette has responded to a Wednesday arrest by the Marquette Police Department which occurred in response to an assault on one of their guests.
"We are grateful to the Marquette Police Department, Marquette City Fire Department, UPHS-Marquette EMS and all responding agencies for their swift response to the serious assault that occurred outside the Warming Center yesterday," said Chelsie Wilkinson, Executive Director of Room at the Inn, in a statement released Wednesday. "The victim of this assault is a guest receiving services from Room at the Inn. The individual charged in connection with the assault is not, and has never been, a guest of the Warming Center.
"While we do not know that this act of violence was related to the victim's housing status, this incident is a sobering reminder of the vulnerability to violence faced by people experiencing homelessness.
"Research from the National Health Care for the Homeless Council found that 49% of people experiencing homelessness surveyed had experienced violent victimization -- a rate nearly 25 times that of the general population in the study.
"Fifteen percent reported experiencing a hate crime related to their housing status. Violence against people experiencing homelessness is also significantly underreported; national data cited by the National Coalition for the Homeless found that less than half of violent victimizations are reported to law enforcement.
"Everyone in our community deserves to be safe -- whether they are housed or unhoused, walking down Washington Street, or coming to Room at the Inn for shelter and support.
"We are thankful to the first responders who acted quickly yesterday, and our thoughts remain with our guest as they recover from their injuries. We ask our community to respect their privacy and join us in affirming the safety and dignity of all of our neighbors."
The victim is 28 years old. MPD's statement describes the attack as "unprovoked" and says that the victim was taken from the scene via ambulance to UPHS-Marquette and that, as of MPD's statement, the victim remained hospitalized.
Annie Lippert can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is alippert@miningjournal.net.