The family of a prisoner who was raped and killed by his cellmate at Philadelphia's Federal Detention Center in 2023 has filed a lawsuit against the United States of America, their lawyer said.
The lawsuit filed on Wednesday, Sept. 26 in the U.S. District Court for the East District of Pennsylvania states that Kevante Washington was near the end of his eight-year prison sentence when he was placed into a cell with another inmate who had a history of mental illness and violence.
Washington's family is alleging that he was raped before being beaten by his cellmate on May 10, 2023. Washington was taken to a nearby medical facility where he died from his injuries.
According to the lawsuit, Washington had told both prison staff and his family that he did not feel safe before he was attacked.
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His family is accusing the prison system of having inadequate and undertrained staff which is what led to Washington's death.
There was a panic button placed in Washington's cell that was either not working or staff in the prison did not respond to it in a timely fashion, the lawsuit alleged.
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Washington was a father to three children, the lawsuit said. He was serving an eight-year drug-related prison sentence at the time of the attack.
As of Sept. 26, 2024, no charges have been brought against the inmate who is accused of raping and beating Washington in the prison, the lawsuit explained.
