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A Gut Punch
Leslie’s experience is a powerful example of the systemic issues that many survivors face.
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NY1 Investigation: How the NYPD treats sexual assault survivors
McFadden would become one of 19 survivors to urge the federal Department of Justice to open an investigation into how the NYPD handled sexual assault survivors and their cases.
A power walk: Lake City native McFadden takes part in sexual assault survivor fashion show
Leslie McFadden, a Lake City native, walks on the catwalk last week during the fourth annual Survivor Fashion Show in New York City. McFadden was drugged and raped in 2015.
Rape victim said NYPD rape kit fail shows problems persist
A rape survivor who signed a 2021 letter that helped spark a federal probe into the NYPD’s Special Victims Division is galled by the magnitude of the rape-kit bungle — and said even one neglected rape case is too many.
NYC sex-assault survivors ask feds to probe NYPD over alleged gender bias
Leslie McFadden, one of the letter’s signers, told The Post she expected a swift and thorough investigation when she reported her rape to the NYPD in October 2015 but instead, she was tricked into closing the case.
NYPD Special Victims unit faces Justice Department probe into allegations cops ‘re-traumatizing’ sex assault victims
Leslie McFadden said the cops’ handling of her report about being drugged and raped by a co-worker six years ago compounded her trauma. “The very first question [the detective] asked me at the start of the interview was whether this was really a case of sexual assault — or just a case of regret,” McFadden testified.
Trump’s Victory Could Mean End of Inquiry Into N.Y.P.D. Sex Crimes Unit
“For years, I carried that guilt that I didn’t do what I needed to do in that call and that I was the reason the case failed,” said Ms. McFadden, who eventually left New York because of the attack. “That is not how any survivor should be treated.”
Sex assault victims blast NYPD’s troubled Special Victims Division
Leslie McFadden testified she was drugged and raped by a co-worker six years ago.
“My experience with the NYPD, however, was far worse,” she said. “The very first question [the detective] asked me at the start of the interview was whether this was really a case of sexual assault — or just a case of regret.”
N.Y.P.D.’s Handling of Sex Crimes to Be Investigated by Justice Dept.
Leslie McFadden, one of the signers, said Thursday she was “ecstatic” that the Justice Department had decided to act. Police officials have acknowledged investigators made grave errors in the investigation into her report that a former colleague drugged and raped her in October 2015.
Council hearing shows lapses in NYPD sexual assault investigations
“It's time the NYPD be made to care,” [McFadden] said. “We need top down changes in how the NYPD investigates sexual assault cases. We need better trained detectives who will treat traumatized victims with compassion and conduct thorough investigations every single time. It's not too much to ask.”