Rape victim sues NYPD, officers on her case sexually assaulted her after 10-hour pub crawl

A 25-year-old woman is suing the NYPD, after two of its officers charged with investigating her rape case got her drunk in a hotel room and sexually assaulted her.

The complaint made on Tuesday relates to an incident in January 2013, when the Seattle nursing student was assaulted by a “social acquaintance” at an apartment. She reported the assault by phone in June, and was told the Special Victims Unit would handle the case.

According to the New York Daily News, Lieutenant Adam Lamboy and Detective Lucazs Skorzewski arrived to take the woman’s statement on July 5. They later encouraged her to join them for lunch and drinks at a waterfront bar in Seattle.

The victim recalls being suspicious of drinking during the day, something to which Lamboy replied, jokingly – “We’ll protect you.” But lunch turned into a 10-hour pub crawl.

In the course of the day, the woman remembers Skorzewkski telling her “you’re my favorite victim!” apparently in a bid to appear charming. This behavior didn’t stop, as the alcohol continued to flow. At one bar the group was even turned away, continuing on to the next.

Somehow, the officers had convinced the victim to crash at their hotel, which resulted in Skorzewski offering up his bed, while he took the couch.

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But at 10am, Skorzewski quietly crawled under the sheets with her and for about 20-30 minutes kissed and groped her, trying to go further. This resulted in the victim running off to the shower, where she burst into tears, according to court documents.

But when she emerged, the detective told her the information “can’t leave this room.” He tried to remind her of this continuously back in New York, making up excuses to contact her, allegedly to discuss the investigation. Each conversation would lead eventually to some attempt to make sure the woman wouldn’t report him. Hundreds of text messages followed, with confessions that Skorzewski had “never bonded with a victim like this before.”

He also mentioned the considerable risk he was taking with his wife, if she ever found out.

Lamboy also took part in the subterfuge. In the hotel, he allegedly told her that her reputation would suffer if she reported Skorzewski’s behavior.

In November 2013, the initial rape case was dropped without explanation. But the NYPD was later made aware of the officers’ conduct, and in December 2014, disciplined them severely, transferring Lamboy to a different precinct and demoting Skorzewski from detective to patrol officer. This happened after Internal Affairs had carried out an investigation.

Both, however, kept their jobs.

Now, the victim is suing the city over the officers’ “gross breach and abuse of their official police authority.” She is seeking $3 million.

"She was a victim made to feel re-victimized by the very people she sought for help: the police. The experience left her feeling exploited, helpless and alone," the woman’s attorney, Christopher Galiardo, said.