Haile Plantation residents met with law enforcement officials Wednesday evening to discuss safety questions that arose in the aftermath of the Haile sexual assault case.
On May 21, a 36-year-old woman was attacked and raped by an armed man in Haile during her early morning jog.
The attacker is still at large, and police have released a composite sketch in hopes of locating him.
Officials from the Alachua County Sheriff's Office spoke during the meeting, which took place in the Kanapaha Middle School cafeteria. They shared rape prevention techniques and provided case updates.
"There's a lot of fear," Sheriff Sadie Darnell said. "There's a lot of very valid concerns for safety, and so we want to be as accessible as possible to answer any of the questions and allay the concerns."
During the meeting, officials also denounced rumors that the case is receiving so much attention because it occured in a wealthy area.
Lt. Stephen Maynard, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office, said the reason the rape case was unique was that it occurred in a well-lit area within view of passing motorists.
The suspect walked away from the scene and got into a car without any attempt to hide his identity, Maynard said.
"This has everything to do with the violent nature of the attack," he said.
Deputies also spoke of the importance of neighborhood watches and Rape Aggression Defense classes.
The classes are available, and one could be scheduled to meet the needs of Haile residents, Maynard said.
The class teaches self-defense techniques and that just yelling "rape" may not be enough to get someone to come help, said Deputy Shawn Pagel of the R.A.D. program.
"It's not what you yell, it's how you yell it," Pagel said.
