FRESNO CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE ATTORNEY
MICHAEL REHM - (800) 978-0754
FREE CONSULTATIONS
Providing representation to victims of School/Teacher/Counselor/Coach sexual assault, Clergy/Pastor/Priest childhood sexual abuse, Boy Scouts sexual abuse, and other institutional abuse matters in Fresno and Clovis CA.
If you or someone you know was sexually abused or inappropriately touched as a child, help is available. It can be incredibly difficult to discuss, but the abuser deserves to be held accountable. If you live in or near Fresno, California, and were the victim of childhood sexual abuse, you may have another chance to take action in civil court. Attorney Michael Rehm is a childhood sexual abuse victim attorney who can walk you through the process and determine what you're entitled to. For a free and confidential consultation, contact The Law Office of Michael Rehm today at (800) 978-0754.
Child Sexual Abuse Cases in Fresno, CA
Sexual abuse runs rampant in the Catholic church, and there has been a longstanding, devastating trend of not investigating or reporting it. Instead, priests were, and often still are, simply shuffled around and moved to different Diocese away from their accusers. In Fresno Dioceses, it's estimated that at least 50 priests have been accused of sexual abuse (potentially many more), though not all of these claims have even been investigated. Many of these claims were handled in civil court in favor of the victims.
Negligent Hiring, Supervision, and Retention
California law recognizes that an organization, employee, church, or other third party can be responsible for the actions of an employee based on negligent hiring, supervision, or retention. For example, in some circumstances, a school can be held accountable when one of its teachers sexually abuses a child, or a church can be held responsible when a priest abuses a child.
For an organization or employer to be held responsible in California, they must know or have reason to know that an employee they hired or retained is unfit for the position and thereby created an unreasonable risk of harm to others. It would also be enough to show that the employer or organization failed to use reasonable care to discover unlawful or incompetent past behaviors or allegations.
In the case of sexual abuse at the hands of a priest, for example, it must be proven that the church knew or should have known about past behaviors or the potential for future behaviors related to sexual abuse of children. This knowledge often comes from documented reports from children, parents, or other adult third parties. When a church fails to investigate these claims and continues to put children in dangerous situations, it can and should be held liable for the actions of one of its priests.
Other issues that often arise in negligent hiring/supervision/retention claims include a failure of the employer/organization to perform a background check and/or check references before hiring. If a background check would have shown past sexual abuse allegations or convictions, or checking references would have led to reports of child sexual abuse, this would be evidence of negligent hiring should another abuse allegation surface.
Attorney Michael Rehm is Here to Help
Childhood sexual abuse is difficult to talk about, but there are people who care and want to help you hold your abuser accountable. California has provided survivors a new opportunity to hold abusers liable in civil court by expanding the statute of limitations and reopening the window for survivors who have already missed the deadline. If you're ready to take action, don't let this window pass you by. Attorney Michael Rehm has significant experience handling childhood sexual abuse cases and will help you every step of the way. For a free and confidential consultation, contact Fresno School Sexual Abuse Attorney Michael Rehm today at (800) 978-0754.