The Metro Vancouver Transit Police say they “don’t know” if the primary suspect in a skytrain sexual assault is male or female despite having recovered semen during the investigation.
On February 8, the Transit Police issued a press release pleading for help to identify the suspect. While photos and videos showed what appeared to be a male with long hair, some basic information on the suspect was curiously omitted from the release. No pronouns were used, and no information on the suspect’s sex was included.
In a recorded phone call with journalist Amy Hamm, Constable Amanda Steed said the information had been intentionally left out because the Transit Police were unsure of how to refer to the suspect.
“We’ve left it out for a reason; it’s because we don’t know. The video evidence shows someone who… would appear female, who is female presenting, but the physical evidence is that of a genetic male,” Steed said. She later confirmed in an email to Reduxx that the physical evidence is in fact the suspect’s semen.
Despite claiming that the Transit Police “didn’t know” what the sex of the suspect was, Steed admitted that they “believe” he has a penis.
“The suspect we believe does have a penis,” said Steed, when asked if the victim was raped. “But the video shows someone who appears to be female presenting, so that’s why we left the gender out. Because we weren’t really sure how this person identifies—we didn’t want to get it wrong.”
According to the press release, the incident took place in August of 2023 in the early hours of the morning. A woman entered Surrey Central SkyTrain Station and was making her way up to the platform, but as she stepped onto the escalator, the suspect followed closely behind her. While they were on the escalator, the suspect sexually assaulted the victim.
The suspect is described as 30 – 40 years of age, 5’10’ – 6’ tall, with a dark complexion and slender build. He was seen wearing a wig with long, dark wavy hair, a light colored t-shirt, black biker shorts, light colored running shoes.
Constable Steed said she was unable to disclose any additional information.
“The investigation’s quite complicated and we’ve omitted some of the evidence to preserve the integrity of the investigation when it does go to court; so that’s why we’ve withheld that information,” she said.
According to their website, The Metro Vancouver Transit Police is “the only dedicated police service in Canada focused on reducing crime and disorderly behavior in and around the public transportation system.” They also describe one of their four operational priorities as “reducing sexual offences.” In 2018, the police force launched an “Anti Sex Offence Campaign,” which consisted of a poster campaign and a number for victims or witnesses to text or call the transit police.