Hundreds of formerly incarcerated women called on New York Gov. Kathy
Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and Mayor Eric Adams Wednesday
to publicly commit to ending sexual assaults in prisons, demanding
policy changes and more oversight.

The women � a group that organizers described as 350 sexual assault
survivors � as well as a handful of attorneys and elected officials
gathered at Foley Square in Manhattan. November marks one year since
the end of a period when alleged sexual assault survivors could file
lawsuits � even if the statute of limitations for the crimes they
described had passed � under New York�s Adult Survivors Act.

The ongoing calls for accountability come after Gothamist
investigations found patterns of alleged abuse at Rikers Island.
Reviews by Gothamist found more than 700 women had accused Rikers
Island staffers of sexual assault in lawsuits filed under the Adult
Survivors Act, but few correction officers or other staffers had ever
been disciplined over those allegations, and officials had taken few if
any steps to investigate claims.

Several of the women have publicly called out officials they say are
not taking their allegations seriously, including at a City Hall
hearing last month.

�We are here to demand justice, to insist that those in power protect
the most vulnerable among us and to make sure no one else must endure
these traumas,� Anna Kull of Levy Konigsberg, a legal firm representing
some of the alleged victims, said during Wednesday�s rally.

Another attorney referenced a Gothamist story that revealed at least 20
Rikers Island staffers were each accused in multiple lawsuits of
sexually assaulting incarcerated women.

�The stories we�ve heard from our clients are harrowing and
disturbingly similar. Nothing about the abuse was discrete as it was
happening in the open,� said Adam Slater, a partner at a firm
representing 18 clients who say they were assaulted by correction
officers.

Slater said his firm had documented cases in which alleged assaulted
victims contracted sexual transmitted diseases, including HIV. Others
were impregnated and underwent forced abortions or pregnancies, he
said.

Several women who were present on Wednesday expressed frustration over
what they described as a lack of response from officials.

During the October hearing, city officials were questioned over delays
in the investigative process and low substantiation rates for sexual
abuse cases. The City Council is currently considering bills that would
require the correction department use an electronic case management
system for sexual abuse allegations and a sex crimes training program.

In response to Gothamist�s investigation, earlier this year a team at
the Bronx district attorney�s office began reviewing sexual assault
claims by former Rikers detainees, and reaching out to accusers'
attorneys. The office also created a tip line for alleged victims. That
announcement marked a reversal from the office's previous statements
that it would only consider cases if accusers or their attorneys
contacted the office directly.

Under state law, James would need a referral from the Bronx DA or the
governor to investigate crimes at Rikers.

In March, Adams promised a �thorough investigation� into the
allegations of sexual assault at Rikers described in Gothamist�s
findings, though no such investigation is known to have taken place.
The mayor has also emphasized many of the allegations are decades old,
but dozens are alleged to have taken place in the last six years. Adams
also hasn�t said if accused officers should be put on leave.

Department of Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie has said
allegations of serious misconduct are investigated and referred to
outside agencies, but department data shows the agency rarely
substantiates such claims or punishes officers. Officials with the
city�s Department of Investigation have previously declined to say
whether they�re investigating the abuse claims.

�We are still fighting to be heard, to be acknowledged, to be
recognized and to be valued. It hurts to have to continue to do this
over and over and over and over again � but we are going to keep doing
it until you listen to us,� Donna Hilton, who previously served time at
the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, said at the rally Wednesday.

The governor�s and mayor�s offices did not immediately respond to
requests for comment from Gothamist Wednesday. The attorney general�s
office declined to comment.

Includes past reporting by Samantha Max and Jessy Edwards.

https://gothamist.com/news/we-are-still-fighting-hundreds-of-woman-
call-for-end-to-sexual-assaults-in-ny-prisons