Fundraiser for victim of Vancouver sexual assault reaches $15K goal in less than 24 hours

The exterior of Princeton Pub in East Vancouver is pictured. A woman was allegedly abducted after leaving the bar on the night of Nov. 4, 2023.

Less than 24 hours after it was launched, an online fundraiser has surpassed its $15,000 goal to help the victim of a violent sexual assault that allegedly happened in Vancouver over the weekend.

The victim hasn’t been publicly identified by organizers of the campaign or by police, who began investigating the incident Monday after learning about it through social media, but she’s been given the pseudonym “Amor”—the Spanish word for love.

According to a post that began circulating online Sunday, a woman visiting from Mexico was abducted Saturday night after leaving the Princeton Pub in East Vancouver.

She was allegedly raped, beaten to the point that she lost some teeth, and abandoned in Queen Elizabeth Park, where she was found.

The Vancouver Police Department has not confirmed the details outlined in the post, only saying it has now spoken to the person who was referenced in it.

“We will support that person and work with them to gather more information,” VPD spokesperson Tania Visintin wrote in an email to CTV News Tuesday, adding that there are no new updates to provide at this time.

A local woman who set up the GoFundMe, Annalie Free, says she learned about the incident through one of her friends, the wife of one of Amor’s friends who helped her get to the hospital.

“When I checked in later (my friend) told me she may end up losing three to six teeth and didn’t know how she was going to pay for it,” Free wrote in an email to CTV News Wednesday, explaining how she got the idea to set up a GoFundMe.

Free says she was overwhelmed by how quickly the fundraiser reached its goal. A total of 419 donations were made to the campaign, including gifts from local business owners and one $1,000 contribution.

Free says Amor has flown back to Mexico to get the dental work needed and to recover with her family. She adds that the donations raised will also help cover her medical and counselling bills.

“This was a horrible experience for ‘Amor’ to come as a visitor and have this occur, however we have shown her how we as a community care for each other. Good work Vancouver,” the page reads.