A woman incarcerated at the Albany County Correctional Facility from July 2014 to March 2015 has filed a civil claim accusing multiple former correction officers of sexual assault that allegedly resulted in a pregnancy, according to Times Union.
The woman allegedly became the target of sexual advances from correction officers and identified an officer as the perpetrator of the rape that allegedly led to her pregnancy, the lawsuit alleges, according to Times Union. The correction officer allegedly forced the woman into sexual contact without her consent multiple times a week over a three-month period, the lawsuit claims.
The woman also alleges several jail officials and senior administrators were aware of the incident and medical staff confirmed her pregnancy, Times Union noted. (RELATED: Male Inmates Spent Hours Raping, Attacking Female Inmates After Guard Slipped Them A Key, Lawsuit Alleges)
Woman alleges she was raped at Albany County jail https://t.co/GiXm4CNBsL via @TimesUnion
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After the pregnancy was confirmed, the woman claimed she immediately asked for an abortion, which the jail’s medical staff and administrative officials reportedly arranged, per Times Union. The woman alleges officials took her handcuffed and shackled to a Planned Parenthood center in Schenectady, and a female correction officer was present during the procedure.
The woman alleges other correction officers and her alleged rapist belittled her and made repeated references to the abortion, according to Times Union.
The woman disclosed the alleged abuse during questioning by jail officials but did not report the alleged rape due to fear of retaliation, per Times Union.
The lawsuit follows similar accusations of abuse by correction officers at the Albany County Correctional Facility, with some allegations dating back to the 1990s, Times Union added.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Anna Kull, is reportedly representing numerous formerly incarcerated women suing the state or correctional facilities for alleged abuse. Kull noted the woman in this case came forward after media coverage of other high-profile cases, according to Times Union.
Sexual contact between inmates and correction officers is illegal under state law and the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, Times Union reported.