Inmate sexually assaulted by guard awarded $1.3M
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DENVER - A Colorado inmate who was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a guard was awarded $1.3 million by a judge who said he wanted to send a message that prison rapes will not be tolerated.
In a ruling Wednesday, US Circuit Judge David M. Ebel said the Colorado Department of Corrections doesn't effectively prevent assaults against inmates.
The woman at the Denver Women's Correctional Facility sued former Sergeant LeShawn Terrell last year, claiming he repeatedly assaulted and raped her in 2006.
"The right to be safe from sexual assault and rape by one of her guards turned out to be worth no more than the paper upon which [the regulation] was written," Ebel wrote.
The 34-year-old victim is serving time on drug, burglary, and escape charges and will be eligible for parole in October.
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