Gillian Roberts, a Black woman, joined the NYPD in 1998. She had no intention of retiring early – until she transferred to the Yankee Stadium detail in 2020, where she was raped by her captain, Jeffrey Brienza, “nearly every game day” for a YEAR.
And now, she’s telling her story.
Not only did Roberts say she felt the physical and psychological violence of being Brienza’s “sex slave,” but while she lived in fear and isolation, her co-workers resented HER for “preferential treatment.”
Roberts’ lawyer says the police “protect their royalty,” meaning if she spoke out against her captain, she’d be at risk.
Unsurprisingly, police forces rarely release details about sexual misconduct. Few are willing to report it.
But according to police misconduct attorneys at JLM Law, an officer is “caught in the act … every five days.” Roberts is taking on a systemic battle, not an individual one.
Roberts is now suing the city for $35 million, and it's expected that her lawsuit will open the door for other women to tell their stories. But this is an indictment of a larger truth, including and surpassing Captain Brienza.
Police don’t protect us from sexual violence, whether survivors report rape from civilians or the officers commit it themselves. They don’t want these doors opened. But, as a community, we have to push through them together!