A woman who was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by a cop will be receiving $500,000 for her Miami personal injuries. The Miami City Commission approved the settlement this week.
The victim was attacked by Officer Michael Ragusa in 2007. The following year, Ragusa, who had sexually assaulted three women pleaded guilty to rape charges and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The former cop would drive his police vehicle around Miami Beach and look for victims. According to the Miami Herald, the last woman he attempted to rape was able to get away because she told him she had an STD. However, he still made her give him her phone number and later texted her. That message was used as evidence to find him.
In her Miami-Dade sexual assault lawsuit the woman accused the police department of failing to notice a number of “red flags” when they added Ragusa, 36, to the force in 2004. Among these were his admission that he had stolen money from restaurants where he’d been a waiter, paid for sexual encounters with hookers and strippers, and was turned down for employment by several other police agencies. The woman accused the Miami police of conducting a “most cursory” background and employment check.
Florida Sexual Assault Lawsuits
If you were the victim of a sexual assault crime, you may be able to pursue Miami injury damages against your assailant. Depending on the specifics of your case, there also may be other liable parties. For example, if inadequate security made it possible for someone to rape you on the premise, then the property owner could be sued. If the assailant committed the sex assault crime while performing his/her duties as an employee, the employer could be found negligent for hiring this person.
Miami City Commission votes to pay $550,000 to victim of rape by police officer, Miami Herald, October 14, 2011
Miami Cop Accused Of Kidnapping, Attempted Rape, News4Jax, March 21, 2007
Related Web Resource:
Miami Police Department
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St. Lucie County Personal Injury Lawsuit: Teacher Accused of Florida Sex Abuse, South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, October 4, 2011
Miami Nursing Negligence Lawsuit Accuses Home Care Nurse of Sexually Assaulting Paraplegic Patient, South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, September 22, 2011
Mother Files Miami-Dade County Lawsuit Against Opa-Locka Police After Her Mentally Disabled Son’s Alleged Rape, South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, May 31, 2011