Police accused of abusing homeless LGBT youth
A study has revealed that homeless LGBT youth are being repeatedly abused by the New York Police Department.
The Urban Institute surveyed 283 homeless LGBT youth in New York City who currently engage in ‘survival sex’ – sex in return for food or shelter.
They found that 71% of those surveyed had encountered the NYPD – with most of describing their treatment by the police as negative and said it often became physical.
A further 70% per cent of the youth said they’d been arrested at least once, with 49% of those claiming they felt “unsafe” in the patrol car after the arrest and had experienced violence at the hands of officers.
“This abuse consisted of verbal harassment, physical assault such as beating and choking, sexual assault including being propositioned for sex in exchange for release from custody and rape, denial of help when reporting a crime against police, and destruction or theft of personal property,” a statement from the interview reads.
“In addition to physical injury, youth identified police violence as leading to psychological injury, including post traumatic stress disorder,” it adds.
In August, a man claimed police broke his ribs and yelled homophobic abuse at him as he left Pride parade celebrations.
Jacob Alejandro claimed officers from the NYPD pushed him to the ground as he left New York City’s Pride parade last year – breaking his ribs and then yelling a homophobic insult at him, a new lawsuit claims.
Earlier this year, a gay man from Staten Island also sued the NYPD over a violent beating after he was dragged out of his home.
Louis Falcone said officers from the NYPD arrived at his home to investigate a noise complaint.
Falcone said he was left with “a broken nose, two black eyes, cuts to his face and body, and more foot surgery.”
He is now suing the NYPD for violating his civil rights.
