Rape victim is devastated by Seattle attorney assault

A Bellevue police sketch of a rape suspect is shown next to a picture of attorney Danford Grant, arrested on suspicion of raping several massage therapists. (Bellevue PD/Linked In composite)

The interpreter who helped a woman allegedly raped twice by a prominent Seattle attorney says the victim, a massage therapist, is devastated by the attacks.

>>>Related: Bail set at $3 million for attorney accused of massage clinic rape

University of Washington researcher Rae Wu spoke Thursday with Ross and Burbank about the case. She says she’s a friend of the owner of the Carnation Chinese Massage Clinic in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood where the attacks allegedly took place, and was asked to translate for the victim.

Wu says the victim speaks no English and moved to the area from China just six months ago.

“She was in tears and she’s really scared. Not only was she really tragically traumatized by the event, she also feared for the future.”

Seattle police arrested Danford Grant, 47, Monday night after he allegedly raped the woman for the second time in less than a week. He’s also suspected of another rape in Bellevue involving another massage therapist.

Wu says the victim and others in the close-knit community had been living in fear since the first assault, and had been waiting for the suspect to reappear.

“The whole community has fears about this guy. Everybody says ‘Oh if this guy walks in, we have to do something about it,” Wu says. “And this is why they were waiting for this guy to come in, so they could collectively catch him.”

Wu says the victim positively identified Grant, who is allegedly seen on a surveillance video taken inside the massage clinic the night of the attack.

While Grant’s attorney argued the arrest is all a misunderstanding, Wu tells Ross and Burbank the victim is insistent she was raped twice and the suspect posed a serious danger.

“And he prepared for this because he carried a knife and he actually raped these women at knife point,” Wu says.

She says the victim is fearful of contracting a sexually transmitted disease because the attacker didn’t wear a condom. She’s also insistent the massage clinic was strictly therapeutic and not sexual in nature.

“She’s also scared ‘what if this guy comes out after jail,'” Wu says.

Wu is working to connect the victim with social services to get her psychological counseling.

“The whole community is really trying to do their best,” Wu says.

Grant remains jailed on $3 million bail. Formal charges are expected Thursday.

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