Woman Says She Was Raped In LES Bar And Cops Inappropriately Grilled Her
Updated Tuesday, Aug. 4 5:39 p.m.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A woman says she was drugged and raped in the restroom of a popular bar. She went public on Monday night.
CBS2 does not usually identify victims of sexual assault, but, as CBS2's Tracee Carrasco reported, Pepper Ellett said she wanted people to know what happened. The woman said the nightmare didn't end with the attack, claiming that questions from police turned inappropriate.
A night out at a Lower East Side lounge on Broome Street called Happy Ending has become one Ellett will never forget, even though she doesn't remember all of the terrifying details.
"I do feel like I was slipped something, or, you know, drugged in some way," she said.
"I remember that we got drinks, and then sort of like the next thing I remember is the beginning of the assault."
The 25-year-old said an employee at the bar raped her after following her to the bathroom early last Wednesday morning.
"I was just upset that it happened to me," she said.
Ellett says she went to Lenox Hill HealthPlex, where she said nurses confirmed her cuts and bruises were consistent with rape. But her nightmare was far from over.
She said once police arrived, it only got worse.
"It was three male police officers, which made me pretty uncomfortable," Ellett said.
Ellett said the male officers grilled her, and treated her more like a suspect than a victim.
"He insinuated that my friend and I were partiers, and he actually said that regrettable sex is not the same as rape," she said.
Ellett said the insensitive questioning continued at the precinct for a grueling 10 hours and felt officers were trying to deter her from seeking justice.
"He told me that once they run the DNA samples and they get someone in that there's a very real possibility that the guy will tell a completely different story than what I told, and then it's just his word against mine," Ellett said.
The NYPD released new crime statistics Tuesday and reported a 6 percent increase in rapes compared to this time last year.
Ellett said the officers should handle such tough situations more delicately.
"They were just asking me really personal questions, but I never felt at one point that they were actually concerned about my well-being," she said.
CBS2 emailed and called the NYPD three times Tuesday to get a response to the allegations of mistreatment, but have not heard back.
A representative for the Happy Ending told CBS2 that the bar takes the allegations very seriously, and the employee was fired after management found out.
Ellett said she did not know the man who raped her.