Woman at center of Oakland police sex scandal speaks out

OAKLAND (KTVU) -- Jasmine Abuslin, the young woman at the center of an East Bay police sex abuse scandal, spoke out Wednesday afternoon, hours after the Oakland City Council voted to pay her nearly $1 million to settle her case with the city.

Abuslin, now 19, sued the city, alleging that Oakland officers exploited and victimized her in violation of her civil rights.  She also claimed the police chief knew about it and did nothing. When asked how she felt about the case and the settlement, she said she felt "relieved."

Her original claim against the city sought $66 million in damages. She is being represented by high-profile attorney John Burris. Burris says there are still four outstanding claims of exploitation by officers in Richmond, Livermore, San Francisco, and Alameda County.

"This case was about bad, bad behavior by people sworn to uphold the law," said her attorney, John Burris. "Each of these officers are responsible for their conduct."

The young woman's story rocked the East Bay last May and led to investigations with police officers in Oakland, Richmond, Livermore and the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, all of whom she said had sex with her, sometimes when she was a minor.

So far, six former and current officers were charged with crimes in Alameda County, and a retired Oakland captain took a no contest plea deal in Contra Costa County.

Three Oakland police chiefs were fired or left because of the scandal. The young woman’s mother is a police dispatcher.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said the city had to act to resolve the case.

"It was in the best interest of the City to settle this matter quickly and fairly," the mayor said in a written statement. "We remain focused on rebuilding the public trust that was so damaged by this incident."