The New York Supreme Court on Monday acquitted Steven Lopez, 48, the “forgotten” sixth co-defendant of the “Central Park Five,” five black and Latino teens wrongfully convicted of the 1989 nighttime rape of banker Trisha Meili in the park.
In order not to be tried as a rapist, the then fifteen-year-old Lopez confessed under pressure to a robbery that he had not committed. After his conviction, he spent three years in prison. His verdict was quashed on Monday.
Five teenagers were convicted
The brutal attack on Meili, a 28-year-old white investment banker who was in a coma for 12 days after the incident, was regarded at the time as a symbol of the lawlessness of New York, where 2,000 murders a year at the time. Five teenagers were convicted of the rape of Meili. They were sentenced to six to thirteen years in prison.
The verdict was overturned in 2002 after DNA evidence showed that a convicted serial rapist and murderer, Matias Reyes, had committed the crime. It was clear that the inquest, trial and verdict were the result of a biased and racist justice system.
The Central Park Five became known as the Exonerated Five. They settled with the city in 2014 for an amount of 41 million dollars (around 41 million euros) and were the source of inspiration for books, films and television programs. The award-winning Netflix series When They See Us brought the matter back to the attention of the general public in 2019.
‘Thank you’
Lopez, now 48, never received any compensation and his case completely disappeared from the public eye. After he was acquitted, the judge said, “Mr. Lopez, we wish you peace and healing.” Lopez replied, “Thank you.” It was his only comment during the session.