BOSTON, Feb. 14, 2019—The day after a Suffolk Superior Court jury convicted a man of raping a disabled woman in her home, District Attorney Rachael Rollins reaffirmed a pledge to make her office a safe and welcoming place for survivors.

Jurors yesterday found STEVEN MILLER, 57, guilty of two counts of rape for the 2017 attack on a then-59-year-old woman whose medical condition left her with limited mobility. Jurors also found Miller guilty of single counts of assault and battery on a disabled person and strangulation or suffocation. Because of a prior rape conviction in 1987, Miller faces a second trial Wednesday on his indictment as a subsequent offender. He faces up to life in prison.

“Disclosing a sexual assault can be among the hardest decisions a survivor has to make,” District Attorney Rollins said. “I understand the complexity of that decision and I want every survivor to know we provide a safe, supportive environment at every stage of the investigation and prosecution. Just like the woman in this case, whose strength and courage allowed us to hold the defendant accountable for the harm he caused, we’re putting survivors’ best interests first.”

During two days of testimony, Assistant District Attorney Ursula Knight, chief of District Attorney Rollins’ Elders & Persons with Disabilities Unit, showed that Miller and the victim had a romantic relationship and that Miller demanded sex on the night of Feb. 8, 2017, in her Columbia Road home. When she refused, he beat, smothered, and raped her. The evidence demonstrated that the woman suffered from a medical condition that left her with very limited mobility and relied on a walker to get around. A neighbor called police the next morning after checking in on her and learning of the assault.

Sexual assault can happen to anyone, District Attorney Rollins said. While the victims of any crime are asked to call 911 in an emergency, survivors of sexual violence can also call their local rape crisis center for free and confidential services and to discuss their options. Support is available for all survivors of sexual violence, regardless of whether they wish to take part in a criminal prosecution. Services by city and town can be found through Jane Doe Inc. at www.janedoe.org/find_help/search. Jane Doe Inc. is a coalition of 60 local member programs working together to find lasting solutions that promote the safety, liberty, and dignity for victims and survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

In Suffolk County, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center offers a free and confidential 24-hour hotline at 800-841-8371. The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center provides medical accompaniment and many other free services to victims of rape and sexual assault. Suffolk victim-witness advocates can assist in referrals to BARCC and a wide array of non-profit service providers who can offer additional support and services.

Sasha Brown was the victim-witness advocate assigned to the case. Miller was represented by attorney John Tardiff.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.