4 random sexual assaults reported in, around Health Sciences Centre on Wednesday

The head of the Manitoba Nurses Union says safety at Winnipeg's largest health-care facility isn't getting any better, after reports of several random sexual assaults in and around the hospital Wednesday night.

Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson says a nurse reached out on Thursday, saying that a colleague had been assaulted in the tunnels of the Health Sciences Centre shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Later Thursday, Winnipeg police said four similar sexual assaults took place in and around the HSC campus over a period of less than an hour Wednesday night.

Jackson said she's concerned that Shared Health did not notify hospital staff of the assaults until Thursday morning. The nurse who informed the union of the tunnel assault told her that the assailant was not found that night and may have remained there afterwards, Jackson said.

"One of the nurse's biggest concerns was, why weren't people on shift notified that this had happened in the tunnels?" the union president told CBC News Thursday.

"Patients, families, visitors — they're all at risk if this is happening in the tunnels."

In a new release sent Thursday afternoon, Winnipeg police said four sexual assaults in and around the HSC campus were reported between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Around 7 p.m., a teenage girl was sexually assaulted by an unknown man near Elgin Avenue and Sherbrook Street, police said.

Less than 15 minutes later, a staff member was confronted by an unknown man who sexually assaulted her near William Avenue and Furby Street, according to police.

Another staff member was walking in the hospital's tunnels about half an hour later when she was also confronted by an unknown man who sexually assaulted her, police said.

Just a few minutes later, a third staff member was sexually assaulted by an unknown man as she was walking on Emily Street, a short street between McDermot and Notre Dame avenues.

The attacker is described as a man in his 20s with a slim build and dark hair, police said. He was wearing a Winnipeg Jets jersey and had jewelry on.

Police are asking anyone with information on the assaults to contact the sex crimes unit at 204-986-6245, or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477 (TIPS) or online.

Regular patrols: Shared Health

The safety of the underground tunnels, and the core-area hospital overall, have been a concern among staff "for a very long time," Jackson said.

"The HSC is an incredibly unsafe facility in a very high-crime neighbourhood, and it's not getting any better," she said.

A Shared Health spokesperson said the health authority is aware of the recent assaults and is offering support to anyone affected, adding the incidents will be reviewed to identify ways to make the hospital campus safer.

Regular foot and vehicle patrols are ongoing, and safe walk services are available for staff coming to or leaving work, the spokesperson said in a Thursday statement.