A Highland Park High School senior went out to celebrate New Year’s Eve at a concert where British DJ Rusko took the stage. She probably added something sparkly and a little extra mascara to her going out ensemble. She probably made a few New Year’s resolutions earlier that day and texted friends about her plans for the night. She probably switched purses in a last-minute decision, because she didn’t have her ID when she left that night. A seemingly small mistake that ended up having a much larger impact following the horrible events only hours later.

When the 18-year-old woman arrived at the Congress Theater for the concert, she was turned away because she didn’t have her ID. Security cameras show that she went inside a nearby restaurant, where she met up with six young men. An employee of the restaurant saw them leave together. They weren’t gone long before some of the boys returned to the restaurant to report that a girl was lying naked on the sidewalk. The restaurant employee noticed blood stains on their jeans. 

The employee went outside and called security guards, presumably from the nearby concert, to grab the boys. Three of the six were found and taken into questioning. No charges were filed. Strangely, the woman’s purse was found in the driveway of Chicago’s Cook County assistant public defender.

At 9:30 p.m., the woman was found, naked, beaten and bleeding and, on Sunday morning, was listed in critical condition and in a coma. Because she had forgotten her ID at home, the woman was not identified by her family until the following day. [via Chicago-Sun Times]

Please remember that this woman was not attacked because of something she wore or because she went out at night. Countless women wore and did exactly what they wanted on New Year’s Eve and were not harassed or attacked. The only way to prevent sexual assault is to not commit sexual assault.

The Lovelyish family’s thoughts are with the victim and her loved ones.