The Secondary Crime Scene

[Dana Sheets]

To read this article in its original context, you can visit: http://www.senshido.com/spages/womns4.html

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Helen Stranzl is the assistant director at Senshido Inc. as well as one of the head instructors. She is a member of the American Women's Self Defense Association as well as a survivor of both domestic violence and psychological abuse in relationships.

She will, with these articles, touch upon several experiences she has had throughout her life and hopefully, you can use her experiences as a learning tool.

To contact Helen Stranzl for information and/or questions you can do so at senshido@senshido.qc.ca at Attention HELEN, or call 514-879-5621
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The Secondary Crime Scene


For the most part, the secondary crime scene is usually where the body is found or where the crime had ended, at the discretion of the attacker (for example: rape situation).

Take the time to think for a moment as to why a criminal may want to take you to another location. Just what do you think he/she or they may want to do to you, that they feel they cannot complete, in its entirety, at the first crime scene?

A perpetrator whose intention is solely meant to mug you will usually use the first crime scene as the environment for his crime unless he feels the present location may attract unwanted attention. In other words, they will not bother to take you anywhere with them. Their main goal is to get whatever belongings you may posses or they think you may posses in the moment. Their expectancy may not be higher than a few hundred dollars at best. For example, car keys, money, credit cards, jewelry and clothing. Of course there are exceptions to the rule.

Since we never really know what our attacker has planned for us, even though the idea of what they have in mind may seem a bit obvious at times, you do not want to find yourself in a worse off position than you were caught in originally.

Instead of asking what to do when you find yourself at the secondary crime scene, I prefer to ask, well what are you doing prior to arriving there?

First off, you should have the mindset that no matter what, you will not allow yourself to be taken to a secondary site. Not only will your knowledge of physical defense come in handy but also how you set up your attacker psychologically as well. Thought Process Interruption, and setting up your attacker is crucial to a successful escape plan.

The secondary scene of the crime is not necessarily a car ride away. The secondary scene of the crime may just as well be 10 feet away. As an example, you’re walking on the sidewalk and suddenly a man has quickly approached you from behind trapping one of your limbs, now he starts pressuring you to join him into that very same darkened, secluded area.

Having a survivor’s mindset is pertinent without question, however, what are you to do?

What possibilities are available to you to prevent you from being taken to the secondary crime scene prior to the physical response?

Let’s look at several ways a perpetrator may try to persuade you into leaving one area of the crime scene for another.

Manipulation of human behavior. The perpetrator may appear to be lost in the city and has cleverly chosen you as his intended victim. He studies his victims well, after all, this is what he does, it’s who he is and he takes this aspect of his life, or career, if you prefer, very seriously. This individual believes he can manipulate you into feeling so bad for him that you may not only direct him by merely pointing a finger but also taking him a little bit of the way, if not all the way to where he asked directions for. Best solution to this dilemma, is to keep on walking stating apologetically that you’re in a hurry. Continue to keep this individual in your field of vision. You do not want to be faced with a surprise attack.

Never go with the stranger, even if you believe the person is sincere in their tribulations. Best you can do for them and yourself is while keeping an eye on them you can state the direction to which they can proceed to follow and the choose someone else to help them.

Do not turn your head away from this stranger(s) while you give the directions. Their manipulation may be carried out by their body language turning in the direction, which you stated, and the possible perpetrator may even point him/herself in the same direction as per your instruction, hoping you will turn as well to direct him which opens you up for a surprise grab, attack, possible weapon being pulled out.

What if someone pulls up to you while in his car? Never put your head in the window of the car to help. This opens you up for an easy grab and/or manipulation with a weapon. Best way to avoid any problems is to keep on walking, and crossing the street quickly if you feel the need to. If you do decide to offer the person assistance, keep your distance from the car. The person may try to encourage you to come closer by pulling out a map or appearing confused by your direction. Do not fall for this. Remember, these people are professionals at what they do, they’re counting on your compassion to assist them in their plan of action.

Perpetrators, attackers, rapists and others who wish to manipulate you may use their charm and niceness order to achieve their goals. Be analytical. Be aware. Be ready.

How about the individuals, which aren’t so charming and nice?

A man has grabbed your arm and is instructing you to walk with him to his car or else. Since you do not want to go to the secondary scene of crime does not mean to react without weighing in your options, and implementing strategies to maximize your survival. Of course, if your reflexive response has engaged both you and he in the physical, then by all means, do what has to be done to get out as quickly as possible and with the least amount of harm done to you, the victim.

Since this is my article and I can do what I want, I’m going to visualize that the intended victim had frozen in her footsteps and had missed a striking opportunity. She is now being led by her attacker to his car as he is instructing her. There are many opportunities one has from the initial surprise attack to advancement towards, not in, the secondary crime scene.

Going back to that poor woman whose fate is in my hands. On her way to the vehicle the woman can basically try to plea with her attacker. Not that this should be considered the fight finisher but it does help to plea with your attacker for a few reasons.
Reason 1; Should his heart decide to grow bigger than all the Who’s down in Whoville.
Reason 2; You will be understandably shaken by the whole ordeal so while you could be stating that you will do whatever your attacker wants in order for him not to hurt you, puts him in a position where his guard can come down and his ego will raise. After all, you’ve stated you will do what he wants.
Reason 3; While your body was in motion, so far it had not indicated any physical threat to the perpetrator much less to run away, so why would you do anything now, right? Now you have him convinced. Perfect.

Now you’re in front of the getaway car and the attacker is instructing you to get in. You open the door and while his brain is completing a pattern of continuation, halfway open you decide to make your move.

How about the door has been opened all the way and you go to slightly bend your body as if to step into the car and……..you’re off, like a time bomb on this guys face.

I’ll make a list of other possible opportunities to make your strike prior to arriving to the secondary scene of the crime.

- You’re already in the car and he is commencing to step into the vehicle as well.

- Prior to driving off.

- Once the car is in motion (choose your time carefully) If you decide to go through a red light, or a stop sign, you also have a moral and social responsibility not to hurt anyone else who is completely innocent of your dilemma.

- Drive into a wall, the side of a wall, lamppost, a Police car, another vehicle (which is already stopped and worse damage you can do is merely to the vehicle itself). Something that will draw attention to you.

Since there were many options listed, there is no reason to wait on your opportunities unless you really feel the previous ones may not have been able to be successfully completed.

Learn to set your attacker up. Should you decide to challenge or threaten your attacker, his immediate reaction will be to use more force or intimidation techniques to get you where he wants you. So why give him the ammunition he needs? F*!* him when he’s least expecting it.

If you ever do find yourself at the secondary scene of the crime, all is not lost. Your manipulation and thought process interruption can still work if the situation allows for it and you may still be able to atop the intended attack. Here is another example.

A friend has joined you in your apartment after work. Although you went for drinks with him earlier, you still had tried to end the date early, however, he has refused to listen to your explanations of a short evening and has manipulated you into allowing him to join you at your apartment for one last drink before ending the evening. Judging by his behavior you see that he’s getting the wrong signal. He starts to force himself on you. What do you do? You stated that it’s late and you think he should go, but he’s not listening and is forcing himself on you even more. You also claim that this is making you feel very uncomfortable and that if anything were to happen you would like it to go slower (merely to give him the opportunity to stop on his own) but it’s not working.

Here are some more options to choose from.

- Lie. Go for the sympathy vote. State that your father, brother, relative, friend or even a stranger had raped you and this situation is causing you to relive the trauma.

- Lie. Advise him that you would like to stop merely so he (or you) can get a drink from the kitchen in order to loosen up.

- Lie. You’ve given him the opportunity to stop what he was doing and he didn’t listen. Let him think that you are into it. Caress him and begin to open his pants. Bring his pants to his knees and continue caressing him. Allow him to think you are about to give him the best oral sex he’s ever gotten and WHAMMO! Now run. Picture him trying to run after you since his pants are down to his knees.

Finding yourself at the secondary scene of the crime does not mean that you have failed. Never give up. In the worst possible scenario you can imagine, you have two choices.

Choice 1: The attacker is going to kill you. Lie there, sit there and let it happen.

Choice 2: The attacker is going to kill you. You fight your attacker and defend yourself even though the possibility seems nil of surviving, at least you died fighting. In a choice-less choice situation, I will take advantage of my slim chance of survival since it’s all I have in the moment. If I should survive, all the more power to me. I beat the odds as many do in their daily lives.

Of course there are hundreds of ways that a person may try to take advantage, hurt or even possibly kill you. In other words, this could be the never-ending article. Best thing you can do for yourself is think about what not only I have written but also other opportunities that I haven’t listed which you feel may work in your favor. Here’s where visualization training comes into play and by all means, take advantage of our availability and offer to help you should you require our services to answer your questions.

Take care.
Helen Stranzl

[2Green]

Sigh...
Sadly, it's all true. What a world we live in that we can't even help a stranger.
My wife was stalked in the grocery store last week. Every aisle,there he was.
She left the checkouts, then zipped back into the store, meeting a friend.
After twenty minutes, she cautiously went to her car. There are only three roads in to our sub-division. She took the longest, most convoluted route in.
There he was, driving around.
Was he looking for her walking?
Did he know her vehicle? (She ID'd his!)
What was his plan?
The very next day she went and got the cell-phone I'd been pleading her for years to get.
EVERY WOMAN should have one in her purse.
Pardon me ladies, not to be chauvinistic: A man walking to a phone is not in the same PERCEIVED position as a woman. Equal danger, yes, but lower probability.
I NEVER though it could happen to me/ my wife.
God forbid someone should have to inscribe that on my or her gravestone.
At least I have Karate..FWIW...she would have had NOTHING. Now she does. NM

[Dana Sheets]

Wow. It is hard that reality shows both wonder and evil. We like to focus on the wonderful and most will never believe there is evil until it is walking behind them.

I'm glad your wife has gotten the cell phone. Perhaps she will also walk with even more awareness. Though it sounds like she did the most difficult thing and listened to that little voice inside that tries to tell us that something is terribly wrong.
Please tell her that she should be very proud of herself for listening to that voice. It may have saved her life.

I wonder if the wife/husbands of martial arts practicioners are a little more aware of the world knowing that loved one is off training to defend themselves?

I still wonder why "personal saftey" is not a national high school graduation requirement. But that would be too much like reality I guess.

Dana

[This message has been edited by Dana Sheets (edited June 19, 2002).]