City of Oakland to pay $1M to teen sexually abused by multiple officers
The city of Oakland will pay out $989,000 to settle a claim made by a teenager after police officers exploited her for sex while she was underaged. The teen, referred to as Jasmine by the media, called out more than a dozen officers last year and disrupting the city’s leadership from top to bottom.
The scandal resulted in the departure of then-Police Chief Sean Whent as well as officers from three different departments in the Bay Area facing criminal charges and disciplinary action, according to the Los Angeles Times. In her claim, Jasmine stated that officers would give her information about upcoming police raids in exchange for sexual favors.
“I feel happy that I can close this chapter and move on with my life,” Jasmine said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
The decision to award Jasmine with the settlement was passed by city council in a vote of 7 to 1. The only council member who voted against the settlement did so because they felt the Richmond woman deserved more money from her experience.
“I admire her for where she is today, and certainly all the attention is challenging, but she’s looking for direction,” Councilman Noel Gallo said. “And that’s what we’re trying to provide her.”
Jasmine, 19, now works with anti-sex trafficking initiatives in the same neighborhoods where she once worked. Her attorney, John Burris, is still considering bringing official charges up against officers in five different police departments Jasmine made claims against.
“We remain focused on rebuilding the public trust that was so damaged by this incident,” said Mayor Libby Schaaf.