New York police officers 'charged with raping handcuffed teenager in their van'
The two men allegedly raped the 18-year-old woman while she was handcuffed.
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Your support makes all the difference.Two New York police officers have been charged with allegedly raping a handcuffed teenage girl in their van.
Officers Eddie Martins and Richard Halls are accused of having sex with the 18-year-old after arresting her in south Brooklyn.
Both men have been indicted on first-degree rape charges after a week-long hearing which culminated with a grand jury vote on Friday, The New York Post reported.
According to sources, the narcotics officers will turn themselves in next week for arraignment in Brooklyn Supreme Court.
If convicted they face 25 years in jail.
The alleged incident occurred on September 15 after the victim was arrested for possession of marijuana, which is legal in New York City when used for medicinal purposes.
The two policemen are alleged to have driven the woman to a restaurant chain parking lot in Coney Island where she was forced to perform oral sex on both men and raped by Martins.
Mr Martins and Mr Halls have admitted to colleagues that encounter did occur but remain adamant that the sex was consensual, according to police sources.
The NYPD has suspended both policemen without pay, an NYPD spokesperson told The New York Post.
The victim’s lawyer, Michael David, released a statement urging the NYPD to fire both men. He said: “We would expect the police commissioner to take immediate action in firing these two officers.”
He added: “Additionally, we request that all this shaming and smearing of the victim of this vicious attack be stopped immediately.”
Mr David told BuzzFeed News defence lawyers cited the victim's “provocative selfies” as evidence that she had not been assaulted.
John Arlia and Mark Bederow reportedly wrote that the woman’s behaviour is “unprecedented for a depressed victim of a vicious rape.”
Both lawyers declined to directly comment but Mr Bederow "caution[ed] people not to assume the accuracy of what happened simply upon unchallenged accusations", according to Buzzfeed News.
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