A former NYPD police officer named Maria Mendez, who retired in 2019, filed a lawsuit before leaving duty against her male colleagues alleging she was raped repeatedly in her career spanning 14 years by a cadre of officers, a detective and an FDNY fire fighter.
Mendez, who last worked in the 32nd precinct before her resignation, claimed she was forced to take oxycodone, ecstacy and alcohol and remained in an altered state of consciousness while other officers raped her, Manhattan federal court lawsuit read.
The lawsuit read that the rapes she endured were so devastating that it caused serious "physical deformities to her vagina and anus requiring surgical repair,'' and had suicidal thoughts that led to depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder, the lawsuit alleges.
The attorneys for Mendez have now filed a fresh lawsuit at the Manhattan federal court claiming that rape culture, sexual harassment, sodomy and other illegal activities is prevailing at the NYPD making women officers feel unsafe and an investigation needs to be launched in to them matter.
The fresh lawsuit paints a disturbing picture of sexual abuse and harassment that is running rampant and unchecked in all levels of the NYPD and the suit also says that Mendez tried to inform about the rape culture to senior lieutenants and sergeants but the complaints fell on deaf ears as nobody paid heed to her cries.
The attorneys claim female police officers receive sexualized comments on a regular basis but many fear not to come forward and lodge a complaint as they feel justice would never be served.
The court has also read in the new suit that Mendez found solace with a senior female officer Lieutenant Filastin Srour, and told her about the constant rapes she had to endure. The suit says Srour politely listened to Mendez and ended up calling her a ''slut'' and threatened her saying if she ''didn't stop making false allegations against good officers.''
Srour didn't take up the issue with the higher officials and let go of Mendez' accusations. The suit also claims that police officers shared pictures and videos of Mendez among their police groups and other officers had contacted Mendez asking for sex.
The NYPost asked the NYPD for a comment on the fresh accusations but the department didn't return a comment and the Manhattan DA's office also did not comment on the issue.
