Sexual Abuse Lawyer in New York City
Claims for Women and Girls Under the New York Gender-Motivated Violence Act
Law Offices of Steven Gacovino P.C.
Sexual abuse causes lasting harm that extends far beyond the moment of the abuse itself. For many women and girls in New York City, the abuse occurred in settings where they were supposed to be protected, supervised, educated, treated, or cared for. In far too many cases, the individuals and institutions responsible failed to act, ignored warning signs, or actively concealed misconduct.
The Law Offices of Steven Gacovino P.C., working with experienced national partner law firms, represents women and girls who have suffered sexual abuse and are seeking justice through civil claims under the New York Gender-Motivated Violence Act. These cases are about accountability, dignity, and providing survivors with the opportunity to reclaim control over their lives.
This page serves as a comprehensive resource for women and girls in New York City who may have claims for sexual abuse under this powerful law.
Understanding the New York Gender-Motivated Violence Act
The New York Gender-Motivated Violence Act (GMVA) provides a civil cause of action for individuals who have been subjected to violence, including sexual abuse, because of their gender. Unlike criminal prosecutions, civil claims under this law focus on survivor compensation, institutional accountability, and uncovering systemic wrongdoing.
The Act allows survivors to pursue claims even when:
- No criminal charges were filed
- The abuse occurred years or decades ago
- The survivor was discouraged from reporting
- The institution failed to act or covered up misconduct
Sexual abuse committed against women and girls in custodial, educational, medical, or residential settings often qualifies as gender-motivated violence because it arises from power imbalances, coercion, and exploitation tied directly to gender and vulnerability.
Who the Law Protects
The Gender-Motivated Violence Act protects:
- Adult women
- Girls and adolescents
- Survivors abused as minors who are now adults
- Survivors abused while incarcerated, detained, hospitalized, or placed in care
The Law Offices of Steven Gacovino P.C. represents survivors across New York City, regardless of borough, background, or immigration status. Confidential consultations are available, and survivors are never required to publicly disclose their identity.
Want a Free Confidential Consultation?
What Constitutes Sexual Abuse Under the Law
Sexual abuse includes a wide range of non-consensual sexual conduct, including but not limited to:
- Sexual assault or rape
- Sexual touching or groping
- Coerced sexual acts
- Sexual exploitation
- Forced nudity
- Sexual abuse by authority figures
- Abuse facilitated by threats, manipulation, or control
In settings where women and girls are dependent on others for safety, housing, education, treatment, or freedom, consent may be legally impossible, especially when the perpetrator holds authority or control.
How the New York Gender-Motivated Violence Act Applies to Sexual Abuse Claims
The New York Gender-Motivated Violence Act was enacted to address a long-standing gap in civil accountability for survivors of gender-based violence, particularly sexual abuse. The statute recognizes that sexual violence is often rooted in power imbalances tied to gender, and that traditional legal pathways failed many survivors—especially women and girls harmed in institutional settings.
Under the Act, a survivor may bring a civil lawsuit against an individual who committed gender-motivated violence, as well as against institutions whose policies, practices, or failures allowed that abuse to occur. Sexual abuse qualifies as gender-motivated violence when it involves unwanted sexual contact, sexual assault, rape, coercion, exploitation, or abuse committed because of gender-based power or control.
Importantly, the law does not require a criminal conviction, arrest, or prosecution. Many survivors were never believed, were threatened into silence, or were abused in environments where reporting was impossible. The Gender-Motivated Violence Act allows civil courts to examine what happened using a lower burden of proof than criminal law, and to focus on accountability and compensation rather than punishment alone.
The Law Offices of Steven Gacovino P.C., working with experienced national partner law firms, uses the Gender-Motivated Violence Act as a central legal tool to pursue justice for women and girls across New York City who suffered sexual abuse in custodial, educational, residential, and medical settings.
Sexual Abuse in Women’s Prisons and Correctional Facilities
Women incarcerated in New York City facilities experience extreme power imbalances that make sexual abuse both easier to commit and harder to report. Correction officers, staff, and contractors control housing, discipline, medical access, movement, and basic necessities. Sexual abuse in these environments is inherently coercive and qualifies as gender-motivated violence under New York law.
Claims under the New York Gender-Motivated Violence Act may arise from sexual abuse occurring in:
- Rose M. Singer Center (Rikers Island, Queens)
- Rikers Island women’s intake units
- Rikers Island women’s housing units (various designations over time)
Survivors may also have claims connected to former or off-island facilities, including:
- Bayview Correctional Facility
Women transferred from New York City to state custody may have suffered abuse at facilities such as:
- Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women
- Taconic Correctional Facility
- Albion Correctional Facility
- Cayuga Correctional Facility
- Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility
Federal facilities holding women from New York City include:
- Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC Brooklyn) – female units
- Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC Manhattan) – historical female detainees
Civil claims in these cases often involve not only the individual abuser, but also institutional defendants for failure to supervise, failure to investigate complaints, retaliation against survivors, or policies that created predictable opportunities for abuse. The Law Offices of Steven Gacovino P.C. and its national partners have the resources to examine staffing records, complaint histories, surveillance gaps, and systemic patterns that support institutional liability.
Sexual Abuse in Juvenile Detention Facilities Serving Girls
Girls held in juvenile detention facilities are uniquely vulnerable to sexual abuse by staff and authority figures. Abuse may occur through coercion, threats of punishment, isolation, or manipulation of compliance.
Claims may arise from sexual abuse occurring at NYC secure juvenile detention centers including:
- Crossroads Juvenile Center (Brooklyn)
- Horizon Juvenile Center (Bronx)
Former juvenile facilities where abuse claims may still be actionable include:
- Spofford Juvenile Center / Bridges Juvenile Center (Bronx – closed)
- Manida Juvenile Center (Bronx – closed)
Civil claims under the Gender-Motivated Violence Act allow survivors to seek justice even if the abuse occurred years ago and was never reported.
Sexual Abuse in Juvenile Detention Facilities Serving Girls
Girls held in juvenile detention facilities are uniquely vulnerable to sexual abuse by staff and authority figures. Abuse may occur through coercion, threats of punishment, isolation, or manipulation of compliance.
Claims may arise from sexual abuse occurring at NYC secure juvenile detention centers including:
- Crossroads Juvenile Center (Brooklyn)
- Horizon Juvenile Center (Bronx)
Former juvenile facilities where abuse claims may still be actionable include:
- Spofford Juvenile Center / Bridges Juvenile Center (Bronx – closed)
- Manida Juvenile Center (Bronx – closed)
Civil claims under the Gender-Motivated Violence Act allow survivors to seek justice even if the abuse occurred years ago and was never reported.
Sexual Abuse in All-Girls Schools in New York City
Sexual abuse in all-girls schools often involves trusted authority figures and may be hidden by institutional reputation or fear of retaliation. These cases frequently involve grooming, manipulation, and exploitation of power.
Claims may arise from abuse at private and independent all-girls schools such as:
- The Brearley School
- The Nightingale-Bamford School
- Spence School
- Chapin School
- Marymount School of New York
- Convent of the Sacred Heart
- Cathedral High School
- Dominican Academy
- Notre Dame School (Staten Island)
Religious and parochial all-girls institutions may include:
- Catholic all-girls high schools across New York City
- Other faith-based girls’ academies and preparatory schools
Institutions may be held civilly liable when abuse was enabled, ignored, or concealed.
Sexual Abuse in Rehabilitation and Residential Treatment Programs
Women and girls entering treatment or residential programs are often experiencing trauma, instability, or dependency. Sexual abuse in these settings is particularly devastating and frequently goes unreported.
Women-only rehabilitation and treatment facilities where claims may arise include:
- Samaritan Daytop Village – Women’s Services
- Daytop Village – Women’s Program
- Odyssey House – Women’s Services
- Phoenix House – Women’s Program
- HELP Women’s Services
- VIP Community Services – Women’s Programs
- New Directions for Women (NYC placements)
Women with children residential programs include:
- Hour Children
- Drew House
- STEPS to End Family Violence – Residential Programs
- New Destiny Housing Corporation
Mental health and trauma-focused residential programs include:
- Urban Resource Institute – Women’s Programs
- Sanctuary for Families – Residential Programs
- Safe Horizon – Residential Services
- Women In Need (WIN) – Programs
Girls’ residential and youth treatment programs include:
- MercyFirst
- Rising Ground
- SCO Family of Services
- Green Chimneys (NYC referrals)
- Andrus Children’s Center (NYC placements)
Sexual Abuse in Shelters, Housing, and Transitional Facilities for Women and Girls
Emergency shelters and transitional housing programs are intended to provide safety. When sexual abuse occurs, it is often tied to institutional failures or exploitation of dependency.
Domestic violence and emergency shelters include:
- Safe Horizon
- Sanctuary for Families
- Urban Resource Institute
- STEPS to End Family Violence
- Barrier Free Living
Women-only and family shelters include:
- Women In Need (WIN)
- HELP USA – Women’s Shelters
- Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC) – Women’s Programs
- CAMBA Women’s Shelters
- Winthrop Place
Reentry and transitional housing programs include:
- Hour Children
- Fortune Society – Women’s Services
- Housing Plus
- Drew House
Sexual Abuse in Foster Care, Group Homes, and Child Welfare Placements
Girls in foster care and group homes face heightened risk of sexual abuse due to instability and dependence on caregivers.
Foster care and child welfare agencies include:
- New Alternatives for Children
- Good Shepherd Services
- Catholic Guardian Services
- Jewish Child Care Association (JCCA)
- Rising Ground
- SCO Family of Services
- MercyFirst
Group homes and residential child care facilities include:
- MercyFirst Group Homes
- SCO Residential Programs
- Rising Ground Group Residences
- Green Chimneys – Residential Programs
- Andrus Residential Services
Sexual Abuse in Medical and Psychiatric Institutions
Medical and psychiatric environments involve extreme power imbalances that may enable sexual abuse, particularly when patients are sedated or restrained.
Hospitals and medical centers include:
- Bellevue Hospital Center
- Kings County Hospital Center
- Harlem Hospital Center
- Jacobi Medical Center
- Elmhurst Hospital Center
- Lincoln Medical Center
Psychiatric hospitals and units include:
- Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital
- Kingsboro Psychiatric Center
- Creedmoor Psychiatric Center
- Metropolitan Hospital Psychiatric Services
- NYC Health + Hospitals Behavioral Health Units
Residential and long-term care facilities include:
- South Beach Psychiatric Center (NYC referrals)
- Rockland Psychiatric Center (NYC placements)
- Inwood Community Services – Residential Programs
- Postgraduate Center for Mental Health
National Resources, Local Focus
While the Law Offices of Steven Gacovino P.C. is based in New York and focused on New York City claims, the firm works closely with national partner law firms experienced in large-scale institutional sexual abuse litigation. This collaboration allows survivors to benefit from national investigative resources while maintaining local, survivor-centered representation.
Free, Confidential Consultation – No Fee Unless the Case Is Won
Every survivor who contacts the Law Offices of Steven Gacovino P.C. receives a free, confidential consultation. There is no obligation to proceed. Survivors are never asked to pay upfront legal fees. The firm only receives payment if compensation is recovered through settlement or verdict.
Take the First Step Toward Justice
If you or your daughter suffered sexual abuse in New York City, you may have a civil claim under the New York Gender-Motivated Violence Act. Time limits may apply, and early legal guidance can preserve critical evidence.
Call the Law Offices of Steven Gacovino P.C. at 844-692-1200 or complete the confidential contact form on this page to speak with an attorney today. Your privacy will be respected, your story will be heard, and your options will be explained with care and clarity.
Related Links
Quick Contact
Have a legal question? Send us a message and we’ll get back to you shortly. We’re here to help with honest answers and trusted guidance.
Reviews
These guys were the most wonderful people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. I trully felt like they were fighting for me every step of the way!