The five men who were convicted and later found innocent of raping a female jogger in Central Park in 1989, will be paid $40 million in a settlement by New York City. The attack sparked national media interest as it brought attention to the city’s high crime rate. The five men, all between 14- and 16-years-old at the time, confessed to the crime after being interrogated by police. They later recanted, saying the police had exhausted and coerced them. Another man, who was a serial rapist and murderer, confessed to the crime years later and DNA evidence tied him to it. All of the boys had served between five and 13 years before being released after the judge vacated the conviction. While he was mayor, Michael Bloomberg had opposed settling the case, arguing that the convictions withstood legal scrutiny.
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