A woman told police she was raped by three men during a Halloween-themed party at a downtown Athens bar early Sunday, with investigators saying a man dressed as the Joker lured her toward a bathroom where two other men were waiting. No arrests have been made as the investigation continues.
The woman said a man in a Joker costume offered to buy her a drink at Duke’s and Dottie’s, a bar and dance club on East Broad Street, according to a police report cited by The Red & Black. After she declined, the man grabbed her arm, led her to the bathroom and pushed her inside, the report says. She told police two other men were already waiting there, and all three took turns raping her.
The men also stole the woman’s purse after the assault, which contained her phone, per the same account. WSB-TV reported, citing the police report, that the missing bag contained an iPhone 16 Plus.
Friend Drove Her to a Hospital Across the County Line
After the assault, a friend drove the woman to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Barrow County, where she disclosed the incident to Barrow County Police, the Red & Black report states. Athens-Clarke County officers were contacted by Barrow County deputies around 4 a.m. Nov. 1 about the report, according to the station's report.
As of WSB-TV's reporting, no arrests had been made and the investigation remained ongoing. Atlanta News First reported that the woman was 20 years old, citing the police report, while Classic City News reported her age as 29, also attributing the figure to police. The discrepancy has not been resolved by any source reviewed for this report.
Earlier Downtown Case Shows How Investigations Can Unfold
This is not the first sexual assault investigation tied to downtown Athens nightlife this year. The Athens-Clarke County Government said in a press release that officers investigated a report of a possible sexual assault that occurred overnight near City Hall on Aug. 21, a case entirely separate from the Halloween-party incident. Detectives identified one person of interest by the next day, and on Aug. 25 the department announced that Timothy Evans, 49, of Athens, had been charged with financial transaction card theft, financial transaction card fraud and identity fraud in connection with that investigation, with officials noting additional charges could follow.
That earlier case illustrates how such investigations can move from initial report to charges within days, though no comparable update has been issued in the Halloween-party case as of this writing. Investigators have not publicly identified any suspects or announced arrests connected to the Oct. 31 incident at Duke’s and Dottie’s.
