Former CIA officer found not guilty in assault case

A Virginia assemblage has acquitted nan man astatine nan halfway of a lawsuit that helped trigger awesome changes wrong nan Central Intelligence Agency for its handling of intersexual battle allegations. 

Ashkan Bayatpour, nan erstwhile CIA serviceman who was accused successful 2022 of intersexual assault, told CBS News successful a connection that he is "grateful that a assemblage of my peers believed maine and recovered maine not guilty." 

A assemblage of six women and 1 man heard some sides of nan lawsuit complete 3 days astatine nan Fairfax County Circuit Court and came to their determination precocious Wednesday.

The accusations against Bayatpour came from different erstwhile CIA serviceman successful training, Rachel Cuda, who alleged that while successful a stairwell astatine nan agency's headquarters, Bayatpour wrapped a scarf astir her neck, choked her and past attempted to buss her.  

Cuda, who revealed her personality for nan first clip to CBS News successful an question and reply past week, said she tried to study what happened to her contiguous supervisor and aggregate different CIA offices, but said she discovered location was nary general process successful spot to grip claims of intersexual misconduct.

"I was successful nan acheronian astir really my lawsuit was being handled," Cuda told CBS News. "I was not fixed due updates connected what was being done to support maine safe."

A bid of soul investigations astatine nan CIA cleared Bayatpour of immoderate wrongdoing. Cuda past went to rule enforcement. Bayatpour was yet charged pinch misdemeanor battle and battery, not intersexual battle arsenic Cuda alleged. 

The incident triggered awesome changes astatine nan CIA. After nan CIA cleared Bayatpour, Cuda approached Congress, testifying down closed doors to nan House Intelligence Committee.

In total, 26 whistleblowers, including Cuda, said to nan committee arsenic portion of a sweeping investigation into nan CIA. The results recovered that nan agency "failed to grip allegations of intersexual battle and harassment."

Last December, Congress passed authorities requiring nan agency to create caller policies and trainings for proceeding allegations of intersexual battle and harassment, supply a typical victims interrogator for each lawsuit and let victims to study confidentially.

In an question and reply pinch CBS News, CIA spokesperson Tammy Thorpe said that anterior to nan changes, nan reporting process was confusing.

"The quality of our activity does require galore officers to beryllium undercover. I will opportunity that 1 of nan awesome steps that we've taken has been to show group they tin spell to rule enforcement," Thorp said.

Thorp's connection to labor is to travel guardant and stock their concerns.

Cuda was fired from nan CIA past twelvemonth aft not passing serviceman training. She alleges that it was successful retaliation for going nationalist pinch her case. 

"We are disappointed successful nan result of this proceedings but respect nan assemblage and convey them for their clip and deliberation," said Cuda's lawyer successful a connection to CBS News. "This effort to tarnish her estimation is reprehensible, and it is astonishing that it was allowed successful 2024." 

Bayatpour resigned from nan CIA past year.   

"Being falsely accused for nan past 2 years has been a nightmare. My family and I person had truthful overmuch of our peace, joy, privacy, and information stolen from us, and my attraction now is putting my life backmost together aft this ordeal," he said successful a statement. "I convey everyone who has stood by me, and will person much to opportunity erstwhile I'm ready."

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• Central Intelligence Agency