On Saturday, an activist highlighted what she characterized as an “emergency” concerning violence against women and girls in the United States. She referenced a series of disturbing sexual crimes, including the alleged drugging and fatal rape of a Fashion Institute of Technology student, as evidence of this dire situation.
Reshma Saujani, who founded the organizations Moms First US and Girls Who Code, posted a poignant statement on Instagram regarding the indictment of Moises Freire, a 19-year-old from the Bronx. Prosecutors assert that Freire drugged 20-year-old Annabel Richter with fentanyl and assaulted her while she was incapacitated in her FIT dormitory in March.
“With the recent headlines regarding Cornell and UChicago, this is incredibly heavy to bear,” noted Saujani, who made history as the first Indian American woman to run for Congress in 2010.
One detail that disturbs her is that Freire allegedly sent photos of Richter, who was unconscious, to his friends before he sought help. “This mirrors what we saw in the Cornell group chat,” Saujani remarked. “Women and girls are facing a crisis of sexual violence in this country, and we can’t continue to normalize it.”
She posed a troubling question: “How many more stories like Annabel’s will it take before we recognize this as the emergency it truly is?”
According to prosecutors, Richter and her roommate thought they were using cocaine from Mexico when they consumed the dangerous substance in their room at the all-girls Nagler Hall in Chelsea on March 18.
Immediately after consuming it, both women lost consciousness. Freire supposedly took the opportunity to assault Richter, even taking pictures of her partially clothed body to share with friends after the act, recent court records reveal.
Prosecutors claim he took 45 minutes to alert campus security to the situation after the women began to overdose and misled first responders by claiming they had simply been drinking too much. He allegedly stated he only realized Richter was unconscious after he violated her.
In a separate yet related case, Freire’s friend, 18-year-old Brian Peralta Cabrera from Queens, was charged with narcotics conspiracy for allegedly aiding Freire in obtaining the lethal fentanyl.
Freire and Peralta Cabrera were arrested back in March. They both pleaded not guilty to initial charges that did not include the rape accusation and are currently in custody.
Freire’s next court appearance is set for October 28, where he will face upgraded charges involving the distribution of a controlled substance with the intent to commit rape, along with other narcotics-related offenses. If convicted, he could face a minimum of 20 years, up to life in prison.
Athird individual, Harry Rosales Pino, has already pleaded guilty to charges related to the distribution of narcotics resulting in death.
“Hearing about this situation as an alum hits hard; it’s really heartbreaking, especially since she was so young,” said Amanda McCormack, 23, an FIT alum. “I feel that this is coming to light alongside the Cornell case, which is stirring up controversy too. Ultimately, what she experienced is horrific, and I believe these cases deserve more justice for the victims.”
The distressing events described at FIT come amid other reports of alleged sexual violence, igniting outrage at Cornell University and the University of Chicago.
A former Cornell University student, referred to as Jane Doe, has filed a lawsuit against seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity, claiming they gang-raped her. In a disturbing group chat, one fraternity member allegedly stated there was “free p–sy upstairs,” to which another responded, “Shop still open?”
All seven fraternity members deny the accusations, and no charges have been filed against them.
Additionally, at a fraternity party near the University of Chicago, a woman reported being sexually assaulted in a bathroom, with partygoers reportedly cheering on her assailant.
Neither the alleged victim nor the accused is a student at the university. Jonathan Pierce, speaking for the national AEPi organization, noted that the alleged attacker was not a fraternity member, and members of the organization offered support to the woman upon learning of the incident.
The University of Chicago has identified a person of interest in the case but stated they could not disclose his name while the investigation is ongoing and no charges have yet been filed.
