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Juvenile Center Sexual Abuse Lawyers in Maryland
Juvenile detention centers were designed to detain minors accused of committing crimes, but for many people, these centers are where they had to endure horrific child sexual abuse as minors. In fact, many of Maryland’s juvenile detention centers have recently been involved in child sexual abuse lawsuits after victims alleged that rampant sexual abuse has plagued these centers for years.
Helping Victims with Civil Claims Against Juvenile Facilities
If you or your child were sexually abused in a Maryland juvenile detention center, you should contact Andreozzi + Foote to discuss your legal options. You may be able to pursue legal action against the juvenile detention facility and any groups that enabled or hid the childhood sexual abuse you or your loved one experienced. Call our law firm to schedule a free consultation with caring, skilled attorneys.
What Should You Know About Sexual Abuse in Juvenile Centers?
Recent research has found that child sex abuse is unfortunately common in juvenile detention facilities, with Maryland’s juvenile justice facilities being some of the worst offenders. The high rate of sexual abuse is due to several factors, including fear of the authority figures in charge of juvenile detention facilities and lack of supervision among the juveniles detained. Additionally, the minors in juvenile centers are often unaware of their rights and might not know how to identify and report sexual assault.
As a result, the rate of sexual abuse in juvenile detention centers tends to be much higher than average, with victims being abused by adult staff, other juvenile detainees, or both. In many cases, the abuse even takes place in rooms where there are security cameras that are meant to improve the safety of minors in juvenile justice centers. This suggests that those in charge are aware of the abuse and do nothing to stop it, and may even take steps to hide it.
If this sounds familiar to you, we encourage you to come to our law firm for help. Our lawyers are compassionate and understanding, and we want you to feel comfortable sharing your story so we can seek justice on your behalf.
The juvenile detention facility that allowed you or your child to be victimized should not be able to get away with it. When you hire our experienced attorneys to take on your civil lawsuit, we can work together as a team to hold organizations and individuals accountable for the child sexual abuse they committed or ignored.
Why Should You Take Civil Legal Action Against Juvenile Detention Centers?
If you’re hesitant to take legal action against the juvenile detention center where the abuse occurred, you’re not alone. Many childhood sexual abuse victims are afraid to come forward to initiate civil or criminal proceedings, as it can feel overwhelming to make such an accusation. This is especially the case when child sexual abuse occurred decades ago
However, we encourage you to at least consider filing a civil lawsuit, particularly now that the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 removed the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases. This means victims can file civil lawsuits against Maryland juvenile detention centers and other alleged abusers and enablers years or even decades after the child sex abuse happened
Now that you know you have the chance to take legal action due to the passage of the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023, you might wonder why you should do so. The answer is that you can recover financial compensation through civil lawsuits. More specifically, when you file a sexual abuse lawsuit, you’re entitled to request a few types of damages.
One type is economic damages, which are meant to make up for any costs you’ve incurred due to childhood sexual abuse. For example, if you needed medical treatment and therapy after experiencing sexual assault, economic damages will reimburse you for the money you spent on these expenses. If you had to take time off work to deal with the aftermath of childhood sexual abuse, your economic damage will ensure you don’t suffer financially as a result.
Civil lawsuits can also get victims non-economic damages. These compensate for non-economic losses, such as emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and pain and suffering. Finally, your sexual abuse lawsuit can also request punitive damages, which are meant to financially punish the abusers and their enablers.
The point is to make sure the people and organizations that allowed the sexual assault to occur remember the consequences of their horrific mistakes so they will better protect children in the future. If you’re ready to pursue the compensation you deserve after being sexually abused in a Maryland juvenile detention center, contact our law offices to discuss your sexual abuse lawsuit with caring lawyers.
Who Can You Sue for Sexual Abuse in a Juvenile Center?
If you’re thinking about filing civil lawsuits against the people responsible for the sexual abuse against you or a loved one, you might feel overwhelmed about where to begin within the legal system. This is why you should talk to our lawyers to learn more about what is considered sexual abuse and who you can take legal action against in order to have the most significant impact and collect the most compensation.
We have handled numerous child sexual abuse lawsuits for clients trying to regain some control over their lives after realizing they were victimized as children. Those child sexual abuse cases involved a range of appalling crimes against victims, such as:
- Ongoing sexual abuse involving unwanted touching or physical contact
- Sexual harassment consisting of sexual comments and requests or coercion for sexual acts
- Indecent exposure to minors
- Inappropriate romantic or sexual relationships between staff members and minors
- Repeated rape
Sexual exploitation in which minors are offered favors or privileges in return for having sexual contact with staff
If you or your child were subjected to these or other forms of child sexual abuse, you should schedule a confidential consultation with our team. During your consultation, we will review the details of your situation to determine who to bring a lawsuit against.
Note that most child abuse lawsuits that we file don’t stop at targeting just one person or organization. We strive to ensure everyone involved is held accountable, which can include employees, managers, facility counselors, guards, and the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. After all, even if these people and agencies didn’t commit the sex abuse toward you, they failed to protect you and may have even helped hide the abuse.
When we file lawsuits against them, our goal is to help ensure this doesn’t happen again while getting you the compensation you deserve.
How Can Juvenile Center Sexual Abuse Lawyers in Maryland Help Victims?
When you contact our law firm for a free and confidential consultation, you can rest assured your legal case will be in capable hands. We want you to feel you can relax and focus on healing while we handle the details of your lawsuit. We also strive to provide you with helpful resources and updates on any new laws in Maryland that could affect your case.
For example, we want you to realize the impact the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 has on sexual abuse lawsuits. Prior to this new Maryland law, victims faced a statute of limitations on sexual abuse allegations, so they could not file a lawsuit after they turned 38. With the statute of limitations removed, child victims can file a sex abuse case no matter how old they are now. This will help more victims seek justice even decades after being sexually abused.
We can also put you in touch with resources meant to help Maryland victims of abuse. For instance, the Family Crisis Center of Baltimore County can help you get counseling for your family. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) and Sexual Assault/Spouse Abuse Resource Center (SARC) both provide resources for survivors, as well. Heartly House, Inc. can provide answers to any questions you might have about how sexual abuse is defined and what to do once you realize you’re a victim of this type of crime.
Of course, our skilled attorneys can also answer your questions about seeking justice after experiencing the devastating effects of unwanted sexual contact during childhood. When you talk to our team during your free consultation, we’ll listen to your story before advising you on your next steps, which might involve filing a lawsuit against one or more individuals or companies.
If you decide to take legal action against the people who abused you or allowed the abuse to continue in juvenile detention, you’ll have the support of our experienced, compassionate attorneys from beginning to end. Call us at 866-311-8640 to schedule an initial consultation with our lawyers today.
