Sex assault vics seek federal probe of NYPD
The NYPD routinely bungles sexual assault investigations, a group of survivors wrote to the Justice Department Monday, with one victim recalling an insensitive detective asking “is this a rape or is this a case of regret?”
The 19 women who signed the letter, including the mothers of two victims, asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to open an investigation into the NYPD’s Special Victims Division, arguing that mismanagement of the unit is akin to discrimination against women. The signers, which include two women who were victims of stalking, also asked the feds to examine how police investigate gender-based violence.
The SVD doesn’t have enough experienced investigators, key evidence is frequently overlooked and victims are too often treated as if they’ve done something wrong, the women wrote. They noted that most sexual assault victims are women of color. Disabled people, as well as gay and trans people, are treated less fairly by investigators, the survivors wrote.
“When one of us reported a rape, her detective’s first question was, ‘Is this a rape or is this a case of regret?’ ” the letter said. “Another of us, after reporting a rape, was asked by her detective, ‘Are you sure you want to prosecute this guy? Who knows — you could wind up dating him.’ ”
Women’s advocacy groups and elected city officials leveled similar complaints about the troubled Special Victims Division in June.
The push for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to open a “pattern or practice” investigation into the unit comes three years after a scathing report by the city’s Investigation Department.
The SVD was woefully understaffed and paid less attention to rapes by acquaintances of victims, the report found, with some of those cases handled by precinct detectives lacking proper training. The Investigation Department audit also found some detectives, overwhelmed by heavy caseloads, discouraged some victims from cooperating. One detective, it was later revealed, mishandled sex assault allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, resulting in one charge against the mogul being dropped.
Following the DOI report, the NYPD replaced the Special Victims commander, transferred more detectives into the unit and encouraged sex crime victims to come forward. Investigators took additional sensitivity training.
The NYPD says it has worked more closely with victim advocates.
“Special Victims Division investigators bring a victim-centric and evidence-driven approach, and work tirelessly to build the strongest possible case,” said NYPD spokeswoman Detective Denise Moroney. “The NYPD is committed to ensuring that all sexual assault survivors feel the safety and support needed to come forward and help the NYPD bring them the justice they deserve.”
Still, victims and advocates say, the unit has not solved its problems.
The victims’ letter includes the story of a woman who said that after police recorded a call she made to her rapist she was tricked into signing a letter that closed out the case with no arrest. The woman had been led to believe that the investigation was on hold until more evidence could be gathered, according to Jane Manning, director of the Women’s Equal Rights Project.
“While fighting to have our own cases investigated, we have learned that the problems we encountered are not isolated — they are systemic,” the victims’ letter said. “Experiencing sexual assault was horrific, but for many of us, the ordeal of having our cases neglected, trivialized and discarded by the NYPD added a whole new layer of trauma that was as devastating as the crime itself.”
The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment.