CHICAGO, IL – When a victim is sexually abused, it is vital that those parties involved are brought to justice. Often people think that only the individual perpetrators who directly committed the crime can be held liable; however, this is not the case. Sexual abuse often takes place in a setting where the perpetrator has a duty to the victim such as a church, school, doctor’s office or other similar place. Sometimes, related organizations or entities will work to cover up the sexual abuse that has taken place. And often the institution is negligent in failing to protect the victim and allowing the abuse to take place.
The sexual abuse lawyers at the Dinizulu Law Group can help explain the liability involved with sexual abuse cases. Victims deserve to know the avenues that can bring them justice.
Child Sex Abuse Institutional Claims
These types of incidents occur when a sexual assault takes place between a child victim and a member of an organization that is supposed to be caring for the child. It’s also common in most of these cases to have an uneven power dynamic between the assailant and victim. For example, the assailant is an authority figure in the victim’s life. The assailant then abuses their power to manipulate and harm the victim.
Institutional sexual assault may occur:
- At schools
- Among members of sports teams
- At mental health facilities
- At juvenile detention centers or jails
- At church
- At daycare
- After school care
- Scouting organizations
- Summer camps
- When filing an institutional child sexual abuse claim, you are filing a lawsuit against the organization or institution that allowed the assault to take place.
Fiduciary Claims
An adult or child may have a claim against a trusted professional (known as a fiduciary) who commits sexual abuse or sexual assault. This occurs when professionals breach their fiduciary duty, or their duty to act in the best interests of another person.
This may occur if sexual assault is committed by:
- A doctor or other healthcare provider
- A therapist or psychiatrist
- An attorney
- A teacher
- A dentist
- If both an individual and an institution are guilty of committing sexual assault, the victim may be able to file dual claims to hold both the fiduciary and institutional parties responsible.
Legal Representation You Deserve
Many physical and emotional damages stem from sexual abuse. Some of these losses are physical and visible and some are invisible. If you or someone you love was a victim of sexual abuse, you and your family may have the right to seek damages for your losses in civil court. The sexual abuse lawyers at the Dinizulu Law Group in Chicago, Illinois work closely with individuals and families whose lives have been devastated by sexual abuse. We are here to help and can stand by you every step of the way.
Fill out this form or call our firm today at (312) 384-1920 to learn about your legal options today.
