Copake, New York - Former Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp Counselor Saury Minaya Sentenced for Rape of Fellow Counselor

Columbia County Camp Counselor Sentenced for Rape

A temporary camp counselor convicted of raping a fellow counselor at Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp in Copake was sentenced on Thursday, January 17.

24-year-old Saury Minaya appeared in Columbia County Court and was ordered to serve five years in state prison and undergo seven years of post-release supervision. Minaya was convicted of second-degree rape, which is a Class D felony. Columbia County Judge Jonathan Nichols also issued an order of protection for 13 years on behalf of the victim.

State police responded to a report of a sexual assault at the camp at around 1 p.m. on July 22. Minaya was arrested that day and charged with the felony for raping another counselor. He pleaded guilty to the charge in Columbia County Court on July 23. He has been held at the Columbia County Jail without his bail since being arraigned.

Legal Recourse For Survivors of Workplace Sexual Assault

Attorney contributor Laurence Banville helps survivors of sexual assault find justice in civil cases. We’ve asked him to add some insight regarding the legal options available to survivors of sexual assault in the workplace:

Sexual harassment in the workplace is a widespread problem in the United States. Sometimes, sexual harassment progresses into sexual assault when inappropriate comments turn into unwanted sexual contact. Survivors of workplace sexual assault and harassment deserve justice for the trauma they’ve been forced to suffer. The perpetrators of these crimes must be prosecuted and negligent workplaces must also be held accountable for failing to keep their employees safe.

For example, an employer might be considered negligent for the sexual assault of an employee for failing to run a background check before hiring a new employee who had a history of sexual misconduct. In cases that involve negligence, survivors of sexual assault may have grounds to file a lawsuit.

If you or a loved one is a survivor of sexual assault in the workplace, you can learn more about your legal rights by speaking to one of our experienced sexual assault survivors attorneys.