‘We are still fighting.’ Hundreds of women call for an end to sexual assaults in NY prisons

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 nearly 1,800 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 Hylton, 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.

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the number of alleged sexual assault survivors Adam Slater represents. It's nearly 1,800. It has also been updated with the correct spelling of Donna Hylton.