TIMMINS -- A Timmins business owner is speaking out after suffering a head injury in a recent, unprovoked assault two weeks ago.
Sonya Biemann was attacked at 1:00 p.m. near her downtown gift store.
Biemann was holding boxes of merchandise for her store, helping a delivery worker, when she was knocked down to the ground at the Spruce Street South and Third Avenue intersection.
"The trust has been broken for me...I'm traumatized. I never thought that I would ever have to live through something like this. I'm an innocent person standing on the street and something like this happens to me where I'm attacked from behind for no reason," recounted Biemann.
She says she is still nursing her injuries.
"I had a CT scan. Everything came back clear but I do suffer from a concussion, headaches, short term memory loss. I have to go to physiotherapy now. I have an 11 year old son that's traumatized; doesn't want me to go back to work anymore," she said.
Biemann is one of a number of innocent people, reported by Timmins Police Service, who've been victims of random acts of violence in the city this summer.
"The innocent people in this town are being neglected by the higher ups and all these attacks are being swept under the rug...it's not right and it needs to be dealt with and it needs to be taken care of."
At a recent Timmins city council meeting, councillor Noella Rinaldo requested the deputy mayor take action.
"I'd like to request through you to the CAO that we pull together the community agencies: Timmins Police, CDSSAB, the Porcupine Health Unit, CMHA, Friendship Centre and others to come up with some solutions that can be implemented immediately," she asked.
Dave Landers, the chief administration officer for the City of Timmins, tells CTV News, police foot patrol is being expanded and the hospital is receiving funding to help people with addictions.
But Biemann is not yet convinced and wants to see people walking around without fear again, herself included.
She has not lost all hope as she continues to run her business half a block away from where she was attacked.
