#Cops can #legally have #sex with someone in #custody

In 32 States, Cops Can Legally Have Sex With Someone in Custody Sign Now Dear friends, We need your help now more than ever. A San Diego police officer who was accused by 16 women of sexual assault was facing 25 years in prison — instead he was sentenced to just over 3 years, and will be eligible for release in less than 2. This is a telltale sign that the country's attitude and the laws that reflect it are not taking sexual assault at the hands of police officers seriously. We are still fighting for 32 states to even make it illegal for police officers to have sex with detainees. In September 2017, two plainclothes NYPD detectives detained 18-year-old Anna on a minor drug charge. While they let her two male friends go, they led Anna, handcuffed, to the back of an unmarked van and drove around while taking turns raping her. Eventually, they dropped her off on the side of the road — with no arrest, no citation, and no paperwork filed to record the event. Anna assumed this was a clear cut case of police misconduct, but it turns out that, legally, it wasn't. The incident highlighted a terrifying legal loophole: at the time in New York, and 34 other states, police could claim that a sexual encounter — including a rape — was consensual in order to avoid sexual assault charges. These states don't even have laws to specifically prohibit police officers from having sex with someone in their custody. Since then, New York, Maryland, and Kansas have done the right thing and passed legislation to make it illegal for police officers to use their badge and the power that comes with it to coerce vulnerable folks into sex. When someone is in custody of the police, there is an immediate imbalance of power making consent by the detainee impossible. It's time for the law reflect that in every state. Sign the petition. Police sexual assault and other misconduct is a serious problem. According to a disturbing investigation by the Associated Press, 990 law enforcement officers lost their jobs for sexual transgressions between 2009 and 2014. But that's just police who were caught and punished for their crimes. Countless others have gotten away with rape, assault and misconduct, either because their victims were too scared to come forward or because they were protected by a corrupt system. If authority is to be respected, authorities must be held accountable when they abuse their power. Please sign this petition urging states to pass laws making it illegal for cops to have sex with detainees. Thank you,   Lauren W. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. It's time that every state took sexual assault by police officers seriously. Please sign the petition.