A 20-year-old woman told authorities she was attacked during a Halloween weekend event at Duke’s & Dottie’s in downtown Athens.
ATHENS, Ga. — Athens-Clarke County police are investigating a 20-year-old woman’s report that three men raped her inside a restroom at a downtown Athens bar during a Halloween-themed event, according to police records cited by multiple local news organizations.
The woman told authorities she was at Duke’s & Dottie’s on East Broad Street between about 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, and 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. Police have not publicly identified any of the three men, and no arrests had been announced as of Friday. The investigation remains active.
According to the police report, the woman encountered a man wearing a Joker costume while she was at the bar. She told police the man offered to buy her a drink and that she declined. As she later walked toward the bar area, she said, the man grabbed her arm and forced her into a restroom.
The woman reported that two other men were already inside the restroom. She told investigators that all three men raped her before leaving. Police records described the man wearing the Joker costume as white and the other two men as Hispanic. Authorities have not released their names or provided more detailed public descriptions.
After the reported assault, the woman realized her purse and cellphone were missing, according to police records. The purse was valued at about $100 and contained an iPhone 16 Plus valued at about $800. She searched for the phone with help from employees but did not find it, according to reports based on the police record.
The woman did not initially tell bar employees about the reported assault. She later told a friend what had happened, and the friend drove her to a hospital in Barrow County. Barrow County deputies contacted Athens-Clarke County police at about 4 a.m. Sunday after receiving the report.
Athens-Clarke County police then began an investigation and contacted the department’s Criminal Investigations Division, according to the police account reported by local media. The Cottage, an Athens-area organization that provides services to people affected by sexual assault and child abuse, also was contacted as part of the response.
Duke’s & Dottie’s describes itself as a downtown Athens country bar and dance venue. Its website lists the business at 346 E. Broad St. and says it hosts line dancing, live entertainment and late-night club events. The allegations concern the conduct of three unidentified men and do not establish wrongdoing by the business itself.
Investigators have not publicly said whether they obtained surveillance video from the venue or nearby businesses. Police also have not announced criminal charges or said whether any suspects have been identified. Those questions remain unresolved as detectives continue investigating the woman’s account.
As of Friday, Athens-Clarke County authorities had announced no arrests in connection with the reported attack. The three men described in the police report remain publicly unidentified, and police have not released additional findings from the investigation.
Author note: Last updated November 6, 2026.