- A former Rikers inmate identified as Rose Doe has sued the city of New York
- She claims a jailed man told her he lied about being a trans woman to prey on female inmates
A man posed as a transgender woman to prey on female inmates at Rikers Island, according to a former inmate who says she was raped.
In a lawsuit against New York City, the former female inmate, anonymized as Rose Doe, claims staff ignored her concerns after the alleged perpetrator arrived at the women’s dormitory in 2022.
Rose Doe, who was 21 when the alleged assaults occurred, says the accused inmate made it clear he was not actually transgender as soon as he arrived at the Rose M. Singer women’s prison.
According to Rose Doe, “His introduction was, ‘I’m not transgender. I’m straight. I like women.’
She says in the lawsuit that jail staff “covered up Plaintiff’s sexual assaults by failing to provide her with adequate medical and mental health care and by failing to collect, document and review evidence.”
A man posed as a transgender woman to rob female inmates at Rikers Island, according to a former inmate who says she was raped
She also claims the inmate “was instructed by DOC staff to claim he was transgender so that he could stay in the female dormitory where he would have access to female inmates.”
According to the civil suit seen by DailyMail.com, the inmate sexually propositioned Rose Doe before groping her in the bathroom two days later.
Following Rose Doe’s complaints, the prison’s acting warden, Floyd Phipps, sent an email saying he felt the alleged trans inmate was not suitable for the women’s dorm.
The email added, “(Rose Doe) does not want to stay on the unit because he feels unsafe.”
But officers failed to remove the inmate after Rose Doe raised the alarm, and she claims she was then raped while she slept in her bed.
The lawsuit alleges that on the morning of April 7, 2022, “while Plaintiff was sleeping in her bed, the perpetrator took the opportunity to sexually assault Plaintiff again.” . . .Pulled her pants down while she was sleeping and started raping her.’
Rose Doe told NBC that she will be “scarred for life” by the attack.
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie is commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction
The trans inmate has not been charged with any crime.
The accused rapist’s father told NBC that his son was “in trouble” and had a girlfriend while he was in prison.
However, the alleged perpetrator was transferred to a high-security men’s prison last year after pleading guilty to assault.
Rose Doe’s attorneys say there is ample evidence to suggest the inmate should not be housed with female inmates, including five outstanding complaints of alleged sexual misconduct.
The lawsuit adds: “Based on information and belief, DOC records indicate that at the time the perpetrator joined the plaintiff’s housing unit, he was under investigation for his possible involvement in a prostitution ring that was Rikers Island was operating involving staff and inmates, and that DOC was aware. He was likely transferred to the women’s section to facilitate the recruitment of female inmates so he could pimp them for male inmates and staff.”
Her attorney Nicholas Liakas has expressed concern that corrections staff could identify imposters who could also endanger actual transgender inmates.
NBC also saw transcripts of a phone call in which “an inmate” says he manipulated his way into the woman’s prison. Rose Doe’s attorneys say it is likely the same inmate the accuser allegedly attacked.
The prisoner said, “I’m not gay… I don’t want a penis… Send me some workers over here, a whole group of workers, heterosexuals.”
The NYC Department of Correction has declined to comment on the allegations, citing the ongoing lawsuit.
However, in a June 2022 letter obtained by NBC, prison officials told Rose Doe that there was “insufficient evidence to definitively determine whether or not the event occurred.”