Warren E. Thornton Center Youth Center Sex Abuse Lawyers

To understand the lawsuits that the county is facing, we must first review the situation with foster care in the last few years. In 2020, there were complaints of overcrowding at a county-leased facility. The county started using a county-owned office building to house foster youth (this was the Centralized Placement Services Unit). In May 2022, the Department of Social Services (DSS) received complaints about unlicensed care of foster children at the county office. Since using the office building was both a health and safety violation, the county had to stop using the office building. This is when the county decided to move foster youth to the WET Center, located at 4000 Branch Center Road; this facility is a former jail.

In February 2023, the DSS determined that the county was operating the facility without a license and in violation of health and safety codes. The county applied for a temporary license and continued operations. Just a few months later, in late April 2023, there was a lawsuit to stop the county from operating the facility and to find another shelter for foster kids. This lawsuit also claimed that foster children were in danger, as teenagers in the facility were allowed to come and go freely and both drug dealers and sex traffickers had easy access to youth; the lawsuit also claimed that the county was not tracking youth appropriately.

Betty Williams, president of the Sacramento NAACP, brought attention to the situation with Sacramento County foster care after a close relative was sexually abused while under the care of CPS. This relative was placed into care at age 13; unfortunately, the girl quickly spiraled into a life of drugs, alcohol, and sex trafficking, according to Williams. When the abuse happened, the girl was housed at the office building mentioned above.

Many may agree that the youth in foster care are among the most vulnerable. These youth are removed from their families and their homes for different reasons, usually because conditions at home are less than ideal and they are suffering some sort of neglect. Unfortunately, many of these kids end up in even worse situations once they are removed by CPS and placed in foster care – either in foster homes or youth facilities. They may experience different forms of sex abuse, which can include rape, attempted rape, sodomy, fondling, groping, and more.

Examples of the harm youth can suffer can include the following:

• Sexually transmitted infections
• Unwanted pregnancy
• Pregnancy-related complications
• Infertility
• Injuries to genitals
• Injuries to reproductive organs
• Fractures
• Lacerations
• Scrapes and bruises
• Post-traumatic stress
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Panic
• Fear
• Increased risk of self-harm
• Increased risk of substance abuse

Yes – you could have the right to file a lawsuit against Sacramento County for sex abuse that occurred at the Warren E. Thornton Center (WET) Juvenile Detention Facility or at any other facility used by the county to house youth. This is based on the county’s duty to keep foster youth safe. The county has a duty to ensure that all employees have clear backgrounds and have the training/supervision necessary to keep kids safe. When the county fails to keep youth safe, they can be held liable for any harm that foster youth suffers. For more information about the legal options available to you and your right to sue, reach out to our sex abuse and assault lawyers here at our law firm at your earliest convenience.

Yes, you could be entitled to receive compensation for sexual abuse that you suffered. Although every claim is different, some of the categories of compensation available for recovery could include the following:

• Medical costs
• Lost income
• Pain and suffering
• Punitive damages
• Treble damages
• Legal costs

How much can I receive? This is a very important question. The value of these claims is strictly based on the details surrounding the claim; these details can include the specific type of abuse suffered, the injuries sustained, the permanency of the injuries (whether temporary or permanent disability occurred), and the mental and emotional harm caused by the abuse, for example. In general, foster care child sex abuse cases can be worth anywhere from $1 million to $5 million for a single case. Class action lawsuits for foster care sex abuse can reach a minimum value of $20 million.

For more information about the possible value of your WET Center foster care sex abuse claim against Sacramento County, contact us today. Here at our law firm, our team is fully committed to helping our clients get justice and recover the maximum payout available for their claims – whether it is through a settlement or through a verdict.

Under California law, victims of child sex abuse have until the age of forty, or twenty-two years after the age of eighteen, to file their lawsuits. There is also a five-year discovery rule, which allows victims of child sex abuse to file within five years of discovering the harm caused by the abuse even if they are past the age of forty – this is important because victims of child sex abuse will often suffer from repressed memories.

Of course, a much stricter statute of limitations could apply for all claims against government entities. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the deadline that applies to your claim, contact us today. Our team is ready to help you file your claim on time.

If you suffered sexual abuse while under the care of Sacramento County foster care system, it is important that you know that you are not alone. Here at our law firm, we know that sex abuse is a major problem in foster care. Foster youth suffer abuse at the hands of social workers, case workers, facility staff, foster parents, teachers, coaches, and others. If you are interested in exploring the legal options available to you, contact us today. Here at the Downtown L.A. Law Group, our lawyers have experience handling foster care sex abuse claims. Our team is committed to getting victims justice for the sexual abuse that they suffered as minors. We know how difficult it can be to come forward to get legal help, especially when victims are worried about having to pay expensive legal costs. To ensure that we remain accessible, our team offers free legal services, which include free consultations and free second opinions. Our team will be available to answer all your questions, address all your concerns, and provide you with all the information that you might need to begin or continue your claim.

Zero-Fee Guarantee: Our clients will not be required to pay any upfront legal costs for any of our legal services. In addition, our team works on contingency, so our clients will actually never be required to pay anything if their claims are unsuccessful. If you do not win, you simply will not pay anything.

Contact us today if you are ready to speak with our legal team.

Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Kings County Juvenile Center Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Juvenile Justice Correctional Complex Sexual Abuse Attorney
Division of Juvenile Justice Sexual Abuse Attorney