SUTTER/YUBA COUNTY CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE ATTORNEY
MICHAEL REHM - (530) 410-6474
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 Yuba City, Live Oak and Marysville CA.
Sexual molestation of children continues to cause distress long after the abuse ends. Attorney Michael Rehm urges survivors of childhood sexual abuse in Sutter and Yuba Counties to get the help they need. Sutter-Yuba Behavioral Health is one of several organizations that can direct survivors to treatment providers and other resources that will help them cope with the consequences of child sexual abuse.
Adults who were sexually abused as a child and the parents of abuse victims who are still minors can seek compensation to cover the expense of therapy and mental health treatment. While abusers may not have the financial resources to pay compensation, courts hold organizations and institutions responsible when they enabled child sexual abuse. In California, that responsibility continues even after the child sexual abuse victim enters adulthood.
Institutional Liability for Child Sexual Abuse
While survivors of a child sexual assault can sue the individuals who assaulted them, those lawsuits may be fruitless. Individuals who have been prosecuted and sentenced usually lack the resources to pay a significant judgment. Even if they have avoided criminal liability, it is difficult to collect judgments from individuals.
Institutions and organizations are in a better position to pay compensation that survivors need to recover from a childhood sexual assault. Institutions include schools that employ teachers, coaches, and volunteers who assault students, as well as churches that employ clergy and staff members who assault the children of parishioners. Organizations include youth sports leagues and groups like the Boy Scouts. Business organizations that operate daycare centers can also be held responsible when staff members sexually abuse a child entrusted to their care.
California law holds institutions and organizations accountable when their negligence contributes to a sexual assault. Hiring an individual who will work with children without investigating their criminal record is an example of negligence. Other examples include failing to supervise employees and transferring them to other positions or locations after sexual assault allegations are made.
Compensation for Child Sexual Abuse Survivors
The criminal justice system punishes abusers, but it does not award compensation for emotional distress. Even when a court requires an abuser to pay restitution for therapy, abusers who are sent to prison rarely have the financial resources to pay those expenses. And many abusers are never prosecuted in criminal court.
California now allows survivors of child sexual abuse to sue for compensation until they reach the age of 40. Survivors of any age can file a lawsuit until the end of 2022. Those extended deadlines apply to lawsuits against institutions and organizations.
Compensation can be awarded for the long-term cost of therapy, counseling and other treatment for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and other mental health conditions caused by childhood sexual abuse. Compensation also compensates survivors for their mental anguish, emotional distress, and diminished enjoyment of life.
Child sexual abuse lawyer Michael Rehm can help victims of child sexual abuse in Sutter County or Yuba County seek compensation for their injuries. To avoid the potential loss of legal rights, it would be wise to seek legal assistance as soon as possible. If you believe it is time to come forward, seek justice and financial compensation for the wrongs committed, call Attorney Michael Rehm at (530) 410-6474 for a free, confidential consultation to learn how the legal process will work from this point.