Sexual Assault Reported At Foo Fighters Concert

Brett Schauf – Foo Fighters
Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters channels the guitar gods during the band’s show at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan., Nov. 13.

Chicago police are searching for a man accused of sexually and physically assaulting a 23-year-old woman at Sunday’s Foo Fighters concert at Wrigley Field. 

The victim said a man groped her around 9:30 p.m. while she was in line for food, according to the Chicago Tribune. After she walked to a portable toilet, the suspect followed her in before she could lock the door, grabbed her neck and hit her head against the wall. 

Detectives released a photo of the suspect taken from video footage at the venue. He is described as a six-foot-tall white male between 30 to 45 years old, weighing 200 to 220 pounds with thinning hair. 

“We are still seeking to identify the male subject in the community alert and question him in reference to the investigation,” the Chicago Police Department said in a statement released Tuesday evening, according to the Tribune. 

A spokesman for the Chicago Cubs told the paper that security, which is provided by the Cubs organization for all stadium events through a contractor, was increased at Foo Fighters’ Monday concert. 

Earlier this year the OurMusicMyBody campaign – a joint effort between nonprofit organizations Between Friends and Rape Victim Activities – reported that 92 percent of female concertgoers surveyed experienced harassment at music events. 

Harassment included “spoken harassment, groping, sexual gestures, stalking, being yelled at and being photographed or videoed without permission,” according to the Tribune. 

The online survey included more than 500 respondents (379 females, 84 males and 57 nonbinary people), with 31 percent of males experiencing physical and nonphysical harassment and 60 percent of transgender attendees reporting physical homophonic or transphobic violence. Of the 1,286 instances of harassment reported by respondents, 41 percent included being groped. 

The Tribune noted that OurMusicMyBody was launched in 2016 to promote “fun and consensual music experiences for all” at Chicago events and that last year the campaign was responsible for implementing anti-harassment guidelines and policies at Pitchfork, Lollapalooza and Riot Fest.