Victims of prison sexual assaults rally for justice on 1st anniversary of Adult Survivors Act
LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) -- Scores of former inmates and their supporters rallied in Lower Manhattan Wednesday to demand justice on the first anniversary of the Adult Survivors Act.
At the demonstration in Foley Square, victims described how they were raped or forced into sex acts by guards who threatened them, physically, and tortured them, psychologically.
The incidents took place not just on Rikers Island, but throughout the state prison system.
In response, state lawmakers passed the Adult Survivors Act, which gave victims a year to report assaults outside of the statute of limitations.
In that time, more than 2,200 incidents have been filed.
Most are alleged to have taken place between 1990 and 2020 and 98% of the former inmates are women.
"I was raped by a correction lieutenant," survivor Jackie Farrell said. "If you report an officer for anything-especially for sexual abuse-you're going to wind up in solitary confinement or a special housing unit where you have nothing."
Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal sponsored the legislation, along with State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal.
"People who are accused of rape and sexual assault have not been brought to justice and they are still working at Rikers today. That's a scary thing," Rosenthal said.
"There's been women who have reported contracting HIV, who had pregnancies that they had to deal with from their time behind bars. That's so outrageous," Hoylman-Sigal said.
Survivors are still waiting on state authorities to investigate and to file a report. Their lawsuits are demanding compensation-and for the officers responsible to be held accountable.
"When you're not believed, and you're not heard, that adds more to the trauma because it makes you feel like it could happen again," assault survivor Tasha said.
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