Growing up in the foster care system can be enough of a struggle without the added trauma of sexual assault or abuse. Children who suffer from sexual misconduct while in the custody of the state can face significant mental and emotional trauma. Sadly, sexual abuse is common in the foster care system.
If you are a survivor of child sexual abuse from your foster parents, foster siblings, state workers, or others involved in your care, Illinois foster care sexual assault lawyers from Mahoney Law Firm are available to help. We will work closely with you to fight for justice and hold wrongdoers accountable.
How Our Illinois Foster Care Sexual Assault Lawyers Can Help You
A foster care sexual assault attorney in Illinois can provide critical advocacy and legal guidance as you attempt to hold someone accountable for what you suffered. Your lawyer will give you a detailed overview of your legal rights and options for making a financial recovery, such as bringing a lawsuit against an individual or the state. Your attorney will navigate complex legal processes for you, file your claim, and fight for a fair case outcome on your behalf.
Why Foster Children Are At Risk
Statistically, children in foster care are at a higher risk of being sexually abused than those who are not. Foster children often fall through the cracks, meaning their welfare is not as monitored as it should be. Understaffed state programs and a lack of safety protocols lead to preventable harm, including various acts of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse committed against foster kids.
Foster children are extremely vulnerable to abuse because they have nowhere to go and often no one to talk to about their plights. They may stay silent for fear of being removed from the home, separated from siblings, retaliated against by the foster family, or not being believed. In addition, the foster care system is often specifically targeted by sexual predators.
Legal Options for Survivors of Foster Care Sexual Assault and Abuse in Illinois
Sexual assault or abuse while in foster care can have a major impact on the rest of your life. From mental health conditions to physical effects, such as chronic gastrointestinal issues, the trauma can be overwhelming.
Survivors may often struggle with concentration, anxiety, and depression, which can lead to poor performance in school and disrupted educational development. At Mahoney Law Firm, we want to help you hold those responsible accountable for the crimes committed against you.
It may be possible to hold the individual who assaulted you liable, or legally accountable, through a personal injury lawsuit in Illinois. In addition, the state could be held liable for its part in failing to prevent the abuse. If the named defendant should have known about the abuse or that sexual assault was reasonably foreseeable but did nothing to stop it, the state could face liability.
Contact a Foster Care Sexual Assault Attorney in Illinois
It is not easy for survivors of foster care sexual abuse to go up against government entities, such as the State of Illinois, in the pursuit of justice. Doctrines such as sovereign immunity can get in the way. The most effective way to pursue your claim and protect your legal rights is to hire an experienced and aggressive foster care sexual assault attorney to represent you.
Contact Mahoney Law Firm to arrange a free and confidential case evaluation, where you can tell your story to legal representatives who will believe you. We stand with foster care sexual assault and abuse survivors in Illinois. Call 618-961-8288Â today.
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