New York police charged with raping woman in back of police van
TWO New York cops have been indicted on first-degree rape charges for allegedly having sex with a handcuffed 18-year-old woman inside their police van in Brooklyn, The New York Post has reported.
Officers Eddie Martins and Richard Hall are expected to turn themselves in early next week for arraignment in Brooklyn Supreme Court, sources said.
The cops, who work as narcotics officers in south Brooklyn, would face a mandatory minimum of three years in prison, and a maximum of 25 years, if convicted of the charge.
The grand jury vote occurred Friday (AEST), capping a week of testimony that included the teen accuser taking the stand to tell grand jurors that the two cops had sex with her against her will.
The alleged attack happened September 15, after she was arrested for possession of marijuana and an anti-anxiety drug in Bath Beach.
The cops drove her to a Coney Island Chipotle Restaurant parking lot, where Martins raped her and both of the officers forced her to perform oral sex, she has alleged through her lawyer, Michael David.
Under New York state law, someone can be charged with a felony they did not physically commit if they acted in concert with a co-defendant who did so.
Meanwhile, the cops have insisted in conversations with colleagues that the sex was consensual, according to police sources.
Mark Bederow, attorney for Martins, said, “The dynamic will change when there are court proceedings. The allegations repeatedly and publicly alleged by the plaintiff’s lawyer will need to be supported by credible evidence and withstand scrutiny.”
Hall’s lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Matrins and Hall have been suspended without pay, an NYPD spokesperson told The Post.
The officers’ accuser praised the indictment later Friday.
Tweeting under her pseudonym, Anna Chambers, she linked to the Post’s story Friday, and wrote “GODBLESSSSSS.”
Her lawyer, David, issued this statement:
“Based on The Post’s story, this validates what my client has always said — that she was kidnapped, handcuffed, brutally raped and then thrown onto the street by two on-duty officers.
“We would expect the police commissioner to take immediate action in firing these two officers.
“Additionally, we request that all this shaming and smearing of the victim of this vicious attack be stopped immediately. We look forward to the conviction of these individuals.”
Source:- http://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/new-york-police-charged-with-raping-woman-in-back-of-police-van/news-story/e6aab1e9568b0714c0bb84087f4b3a12
