The physical assault of a homeless man at the Downtown Mall has raised concerns about violence against the homeless population in the Charlottesville area.
Robert "Berto" Kartheiser was found lying unconscious behind the Federal Building on Water Street at about 8 a.m. Aug. 14. He was taken to the University Hospital, where doctors determined he had suffered a "very violent beating," Charlottesville Police Lt. Gary Pleasants said. Kartheiser remained in a coma for several weeks before his condition was recently upgraded from "critical" to "stable."
Kaki Dimock, executive director for the Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless, believes Kartheiser's assault indicates a surge in violence against Charlottesville's homeless, noting that such incidents likely are not reported as often as they occur to authorities.
"I think what happened to Berto is part of an ongoing wave in this community," Dimock said. "Many of the homeless, when they have been victims of violence, don't report it. I think there's a great deal of shame, and so people have a hard time imagining that they've been targeted specifically because of their homelessness."
Pleasants said the police investigation suggested Kartheiser's beating was an isolated incident but acknowledged the possibility of underreporting.
"Our detectives have spoken to 40 different homeless people," Pleasants said. "If it's not reported to the police, it's kind of difficult to investigate or form an opinion."
He further noted that there have been reports of violence against the homeless, but most of these have occurred between members of the homeless community rather than involving outside individuals.
The University community has also been recently active in raising awareness for the homeless. The Jewish Social Justice Council recently organized its fifth annual "Sleepout for the Homeless" initiative, a five-night campaign during which students spend their nights in tents to raise money for a local homeless shelter run by People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry.
Council President Alyssa Schechter agreed violence against the homeless is a cause for concern.
"I do think it's a problem. I think shelters need to get safer for homeless people who would otherwise be persecuted late at night by different people," she said.
Schechter also cited improved relations between the police and the homeless as one way to curtail the issue of underreporting.
"I think homeless people are intimidated by police," she said. "Police arrest them for all kinds of reasons. It makes sense that they wouldn't rush to report nor would they necessarily be believed."
Pleasants, however, characterized Kartheiser's incident as the only recent one of its kind and attributed all other reports to "speculation."
Nevertheless, Dimock said the incident has been an ongoing source of stress and uneasiness among the Charlottesville homeless.
"I think the idea that someone would have been nearly beaten to death and not have anyone know what the circumstances were or why they were targeted raises a lot of questions"
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