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Jan 25, 2023
An anonymous plaintiff has accused Mike Tyson of rape in a $5 million civil lawsuit filed in New York last month. In the complaint, the woman alleges Tyson “violently raped” her in the back of a limousine sometime in the early 1990s.
The $5 million sexual assault civil lawsuit was filed in Albany County Court under New York’s Adult Survivors Act. Under the new law, survivors of sexual assault have a one-year window to file civil lawsuits for financial compensation, regardless of how long ago a sex crime occurred.
The New York Adult Survivors Act pauses the statute of limitations on sexual assault claims for survivors who were over the age of 18 at the time of an incident.
In the Mike Tyson civil lawsuit, the complainant alleges the woman met the former heavyweight champion at an Albany nightclub. In the affidavit, Tyson’s accuser stated that since the incident, she has been forced to endure “physical, psychological, and emotional injury” over the course of many years.
“I met Mike Tyson in the early 1990s at a dance club called Septembers. My friend and I were hanging out with him and his limousine driver. Tyson told us about a party and asked us to join him. My friend was going to drop off her car, and Tyson said he would pick her up in the limousine,” the woman said in the affidavit.
The accuser filed the sexual assault civil lawsuit anonymously due to Tyson’s celebrity status, according to a report from Yahoo Sports.
The woman’s affidavit did not provide a specific date of the alleged sexual assault, but indicated that it happened around the same time beauty pageant contestant Desiree Washington said Tyson raped her in Indianapolis, according to FOX News. Tyson was convicted of raping Desiree Washington on February 10, 1992, and served three years in prison.
FOX News also reported that the affidavit claims that Tyson made physical contact with the woman and attempted to kiss her almost immediately after she entered the limousine.
“I told him ‘no’ several times and asked him to stop, but he continued to attack me,” the woman said in the affidavit. “He then pulled my pants off and violently raped me.”
The attorney representing the woman said in a separate filing that his office did its due diligence before taking on the case, ultimately determining that the allegations were “highly credible,” according to FOX News.
Tyson’s representatives have reportedly yet to release any comment related to the rape accusations.
Tyson was initially sentenced to six years in prison for raping Desiree Washington, but was released on parole after three years. Following his three-year prison sentence, Tyson returned to the ring in 1996 and continued his boxing career.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Adult Survivors Act (ASA) into law last year. Under the New York ASA, the statute of limitations is set aside, giving adult sexual assault survivors – classified as anyone over the age of 18 at the time of incidents – a limited one-year lookback window to file civil lawsuits for financial compensation. The one-year window officially took effect on November 24, 2022, allowing all New York adult survivors of sexual assault to file claims until November 24 of this year.
“To those who thought they got away with horrific crimes they committed, I just have one message: Your time is up. Your victims will see you in court and you will be brought to justice,” Governor Hochul told reporters at a press conference when the law was officially signed in 2022.
The ASA’s broad application provides all adult sexual assault survivors with an opportunity to file claims against individuals as well as institutions or employers that would have otherwise been liable had the claims been brought within the traditional statute of limitations. As multiple media outlets have reported, the ASA will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for institutions and employers, with a “flood” of claims already filed.
“As a result [of the ASA’s broad application], in cases where the sexual abuse occurred in the workplace or was associated with the employment relationship, employers may be named as defendants in the lawsuits. The far-reaching implications of this employer/institutional liability have been demonstrated where employers and institutions were confronted with single plaintiff and class action lawsuits that resulted in substantial settlements and even caused some organizations to file for bankruptcy. Given the breadth of the New York Human Rights Law and the resulting potential liability on employers for conduct of their employees, institutions and employers throughout New York will undoubtedly be named as defendants, as individual defendants do not always have the means to satisfy settlements and/or judgments. Practically speaking, the Child Victims Act did not have this result as the child victims, given their age, were not employed at the time of their victimization,” a report from Forbes noted.
Sexual assault civil lawsuits are a means of helping survivors recover financial compensation for various applicable damages. For example, depending on the specific nature of your adult sexual assault claim, Dordulian Law Group’s (DLG) sex crimes attorneys will pursue various damages on your behalf, such as:
The overall value of your sexual assault claim is something that can be discussed during a free consultation with a member of DLG’s team of sexual assault attorneys. When you meet with DLG’s sexual assault lawyers, we will review the facts of your case, offer an estimate for how long it may take to reach a settlement or verdict, and provide an approximate valuation of your case.
DLG handles claims on behalf of sexual assault survivors throughout the nation.
Contact our experienced and proven sexual assault attorneys today at 866-GO-SEE-SAM to discuss your civil lawsuit. Our attorneys have helped clients recover more than $200,000,000.00 in settlements and verdicts, and we will fight aggressively to ensure that you obtain the maximum financial compensation you deserve for your sexual assault civil lawsuit.
Our Sexual Assault Justice Experts are here to help survivors secure justice. Contact our top-rated attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.
We’re dedicated to fighting tirelessly for justice on behalf of all sexual assault survivors, and there are never any upfront fees for our legal representation. You don’t pay a penny until we’ve successfully secured a maximum financial damages award for your case.
Sam Dordulian is an award-winning sexual abuse lawyer with over 25 years' experience helping survivors secure justice. As a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for L.A. County, he secured life sentences against countless sexual predators. Mr. Dordulian currently serves on the National Leadership Council for RAINN.
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