Former inmates and their supporters gathered in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday, marking the first anniversary of the Adult Survivors Act with a rally for justice, ABC 7 Eyewitness News reported yesterday.
At Foley Square, survivors recounted harrowing experiences of sexual abuse, detailing how they were raped or coerced into sex acts by guards who used physical threats and psychological torture to maintain control. These incidents occurred not only on Rikers Island but across the entire New York state prison system.
In response to such abuses, state lawmakers passed the Adult Survivors Act, allowing victims a one-year window to file reports of assault outside the statute of limitations. Over 2,200 incidents have been reported since the act’s passage, with most occurring between 1990 and 2020. Of those filing complaints, 98% are women.
“I was raped by a correction lieutenant,” said survivor Jackie Farrell. “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 and State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who co-sponsored the legislation, voiced their ongoing concerns over the lack of accountability for accused officers. “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 noted.
Hoylman-Sigal highlighted the severe consequences that some survivors have faced. “There have been women who reported contracting HIV, who had pregnancies they had to cope with from their time behind bars. That’s so outrageous,” he said.
Survivors are still waiting for state authorities to investigate and issue a report. Their lawsuits seek not only compensation but also accountability for the officers involved.
“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,” shared Tasha, a survivor of assault.
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