133 brave survivors have come forward to demand justice after enduring childhood sex abuse in custody perpetrated by adult employees at the State-operated Illinois Youth Centers (IYCs) and Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC). With these new filings, 800 total cases have now been filed on behalf of survivors sexually abused in Illinois juvenile facilities. Represented by Levy Konigsberg Attorneys Jerome Block, Jacob Jordan and co-counsel, these survivors filed sexual abuse lawsuits against Cook County and the State of Illinois on Monday. The lawsuits document a decades-long history of sexual abuse at the JTDC and IYCs throughout the State of Illinois.
Our legal team is leading the way in investigating sexual abuse claims from former juvenile detainees in Illinois, and we have been taking legal action using the Childhood Sexual Abuse Act as codified at 735 ILCS 5/13-202.2. The 800 survivors who have filed clams so far include those who suffered sexual abuse as far back as the 1990s and up through as recently as 2023. The Plaintiffs, who are now adults, were sexually abused as children ranging from age 9 to 17.
According to the lawsuits, many different staff at the detention centers were involved in sexual abuse, such as:
- Correctional/detention officers
- Counselors
- Wardens
- Parole officers
- Supervisors
- Teachers
- Medical staff
- And others
Cook County and the State of Illinois have done little to protect these children or to punish their abusers. It is this pattern of negligence that has prompted the filing of these lawsuits. The State and Cook County’s negligence in failing to stop the sexual abuse of children at Illinois juvenile detention facilities is detailed in the complaints that were filed this week.
Leading the Way for Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
The Childhood Sexual Abuse Act provides legal pathways for victims of this type of sexual abuse to pursue damages from their abusers and from the institutions that enabled the abuse by increasing the time in which survivors of sexual abuse are permitted to come forward and file civil lawsuits.
Levy Konigsberg and its team of dedicated trial attorneys are at the forefront of childhood sexual abuse litigation, having filed hundreds of lawsuits nationwide on behalf of survivors.
In announcing this week’s filings, Levy Konigsberg Partner Jerome Block stated:
“With cases now filed on behalf of 800 survivors, this is a growing scandal that points to the failure of the Illinois juvenile justice system. The complaints we have filed on behalf of these survivors of childhood sexual abuse in Illinois juvenile detention facilities identify over 150 correctional officers and staff, many of whom sexually abused multiple victims. The State of Illinois refuses to take any responsibility for the horrific abuse its deeply flawed policies have enabled. Instead, the State is seeking dismissal of these cases and defying the will of Illinois lawmakers who enacted the Childhood Sexual Abuse Act to hold institutions accountable. The State’s evasion of responsibility sends the alarming message that it does not take seriously its sacred obligation to protect children in its custody. These survivors are courageously standing up to the State’s baseless legal maneuvers and will continue to demand justice under the Childhood Sexual Abuse Act.”
Levy Konigsberg represents hundreds of survivors of sexual abuse at Illinois juvenile detention facilities and plans to continue fighting tirelessly on their behalf.
Levy Konigsberg is a nationwide trial law firm with a proven track record of representing survivors of sexual abuse. We have the strength, size, and resources needed to file lawsuits against government agencies, religious groups, medical institutions, and more. If you want to know if you can file a claim for child sexual abuse that occurred at Illinois youth facilities, then speak with our team today.
Please call 800-315-3806 now and request a free, initial consultation with our firm.