Three jail guards accused of raping and sexually abusing detainees were transferred out of the women’s jail on Rikers Island, according to the Department of Correction. Their removal comes weeks after Gothamist first questioned the city officials about whether the officers had been investigated, as required by federal guidelines.
Terrell Armstead, Valery Attimy and Anthony Rizzo were identified in lawsuits filed by women who said the men sexually abused them while they were held at the Rose M. Singer Center at Rikers. They’re among more than700 women who filed lawsuits under the Adult Survivors Act, which opened a one-year window for sexual assault survivors to file claims outside of the statute of limitations.
Correction department spokesperson Annais Morales did not answer questions about where the officers had been transferred to or whether the officers had been investigated. “We cannot comment further as this is active litigation,” she said in an emailed statement.
Attimy declined to speak to Gothamist without a lawyer present. Armstead hung up the phone on a Gothamist reporter. Rizzo could not be reached for comment.
Two other guards identified in the lawsuits were still working at Rikers as of August. One was arrested and charged with raping a woman at his home earlier this year while posing as a television producer casting for a new show. Three additional women have accused that officer, Anthony Martin Jr., of sexually assaulting and abusing them at Rikers.
Last month, the correction department said that none of the five guards Gothamist identified had faced discipline for sexual misconduct. The lack of interest in investigating the claims contrasts with Mayor Eric Adams’ earlier promise of a “thorough investigation” into the hundreds of allegations against jail staff. A growing number of lawmakers have called on the mayor to make good on that promise. Adams is also facing a sexual harassment lawsuit of his own.
A Gothamist analysis of city data shows that investigations into sexual abuse at Rikers have languished since Adams took office in 2022.
The news also comes several days after a judge ordered the city to continue conversations on whether the federal government should take control of Rikers Island. Reports of violence, abuse and other subpar living conditions have plagued the troubled city jail for years.
The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Gothamist.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
