[MR] Woman Attacked at Pennsic

[Martha]

I must jump in with my two cents worth here.  I do not do it often but this
strikes a cord in me and compels me to tell you MY story.  SCA Decennial (10
year anniversary) was held in Kalamazoo, MI.  It was my fourth event and I
was young and stupid and the rules of let's try to get it right with the
garb and such was not yet ground home into my brain.  I was 19 and wearing a
totally unsuitably low and tight outfit.  I had borrowed the outfit out of
costume from our theater department at college.  I was listening to the harp
concert being given by Mistress Signey and enjoying a May day by a lovely
lake.  When the concert was over I was approached by a man who told me he
was in a seminary in the DC area and when I felt the conversation was over
and I needed to go find my friends he grabbed me and began to pull me into
the bushes.  the fight I put up was futile.  He was much stronger than I and
taller.  I screamed for help and to my great good fortune the king of the
Middle (Duke Sire Andrew of Seldomrest), his 7 foot tall body guard (Janos),
and his herald (Charles) came out of nowhere.  The herald said to unhand me
and the guy he dragged me about 20 feet through the bushes, pulled harder
and nearly threw me down the hill into the lake.  When I was able to get
away his majesty and body guard held the guy until the authorities arrived
and removed him.  I flew into the arms of the herald, then married him
several years later and we have been married over 26 years.  This story had
a happy ending but the middle part still gives me nightmares.  It was the
first place I had ever been accosted and I grew up in Detroit. I have
recited this story to my girls and household folk as a warning that not
everyone out there is chivalrous 24 x7 and just because you are at an event
does not mean you have to let your guard down.  Several years ago someone
tried to go after my oldest daughter at Pennsic.  Predators are everywhere.
B. Annejke