Settlement for victims of child sexual abuse in New England

On behalf of Aiken and Aiken P.C. Personal Injury Attorneys posted in Sexual Abuse, on Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Charities in Massachusetts and throughout the United States can help fill a needed void, especially in the care and service of children. However, charities in rare cases may sometimes serve as a cover for the heinous actions of child sexual abuse predators. When someone acts to corrupt the work and name of any charity, victims can often find some measure of justice for the physical and/or emotional damage that has been inflicted.For the innocent, trusting children that were victims of one such predator, that has been a two-fold form of relief. The first was in the form of a criminal conviction, sending the child sexual abuser to prison for almost 20 years for the crimes to which he confessed. The other was a $12 million dollar settlement that was recently agreed upon in a U.S. District Court. The settlement involved several different charities, as well as a university and a religious organization. They were accused of having assisted the abuser by negligently providing him with funds and support. The 24 young victims included in the lawsuit are Haiti. While the money, which is estimated to amount to around $500,000 per victim, will not erase the trauma they have experienced, the large settlement may send a message to other charities to pay closer attention to the activities they sponsors. The named entities in the civil suit did petition to be dropped from the proceedings, but a federal judge in Connecticut denied that request.This settlement is a step forward for all potential child sexual abuse victims. If all charities that provide aid to children become more vigilant in the overseeing of the workers involved with the children, then these types of horrendous abuses may be stopped. If any resident in Massachusetts believes that they have been or know of someone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, there may be avenues of relief to ensure that the abuse stops and justice is achieved. There are resources that can provide information to those who may wish to find out more. Source: The Fairfield Mirror, “Fairfield reaches $12M settlement with child sex abuse victims,” Loan Le and Luigi DiMeglio, July 1, 2013