Activist Calls Sexual Violence a National Emergency After FIT Student Death
Lawyer Reshma Saujani labeled sexual violence an emergency following the indictment of a Bronx man accused of drugging and raping a Fashion Institute of Technology student who later died.
Lawyer and activist Reshma Saujani, founder of Moms First US and Girls Who Code, posted on Instagram on Saturday calling the rise in sexual violence against women and girls in the United States a "national emergency." Her statement came after prosecutors charged 19-year-old Moises Freire with drugging and raping 20-year-old Annabel Richter, a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, who later died in her dormitory.
According to court filings, Richter and her roommate believed Freire was providing cocaine when they ingested fentanyl that caused them to lose consciousness. Prosecutors allege Freire then raped Richter while she was unconscious, photographed her partially clothed, and delayed calling campus security for 45 minutes. He is also accused of sending the photos to friends before seeking medical help.
Freire faces upgraded charges, including distributing a controlled substance with intent to commit rape, and could receive a sentence ranging from 20 years to life in prison. He remains in custody pending a court appearance on Oct. 28. An associate, Brian Peralta Cabrera, has been charged with narcotics conspiracy, while a third suspect, Harry Rosales Pino, has pleaded guilty to narcotics distribution resulting in death.
"How many more stories like Annabel’s before we treat this as the emergency it is?" Saujani wrote.
FIT alumna Amanda McCormack described the case as "heartbreaking" and urged greater justice for victims, noting its timing alongside other high-profile campus sexual assault allegations at Cornell University and the University of Chicago.
At Cornell, a former student identified as Jane Doe has filed a lawsuit alleging gang rape by seven fraternity members, who deny the accusations. At the University of Chicago, a woman reported a sexual assault at a fraternity party; the national AEPi spokesperson said the alleged assailant was not a fraternity member and that members offered assistance. University officials said a person of interest has been identified but have not released further details.