Sexual Predators Revealed in California Foster Care Facility
Sexual predators revealed In a damning report released earlier this month. The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California and other organizations that filed a lawsuit against the now-closed El Monte facility revealed that 31 confirmed victims were molested while in state custody at the facility. The abuses took place over a period of more than 25 years, with the last reported incident taking place in 2002.
The report paints a disturbing picture of rampant abuse and neglect at the hands of sexual predators at the El Monte facility. The children who were abused are now adults and are speaking out about their experiences. In fact, one child victim was impregnated at the time by her abuser.
The facility was opened in 1961 and was closed in 2003. The class-action lawsuit was filed in 2002. Yes, the facility is now closed, but the memories of those who were abused will remain with them forever.
If you need help with a child sexual assault lawsuit, the California child sexual assault attorney’s office of Beck Law P.C., is here to assist you.
Juveniles Held in “Torture Chamber” at the California Foster Care Facility
Victim statements also mention that they, as juveniles, were sometimes held in a “torture chamber” at the El Monte foster care facility. According to their reports, this chamber was solitary confinement in which they were sometimes left alone for days on end, often in cells that were too small and dark.
The conditions in which these children were being kept is nothing short of torture, and a lot of people also clamor that this might have been a place to break the spirits of the children to prevent resistance when they were being subjected to child sexual predators later on.
Sexual Predators and a Broken System
Los Angeles County has been fingered for failing to conduct background checks on the staff assigned to the El Monte facility. Survivors and advocates say that the system is broken and that problems with staffing, training, and oversight had allowed this abuse to continue. They mention that the county knew or should have taken steps to find out the criminal history of their staff. As a result of not conducting background checks, there was no assurance that potential employees with criminal backgrounds were not hired and placed in positions of trust with access to juveniles.
In 2001, the County instituted a policy of conducting Criminal History Review Unit (CHRIU) background checks on all staff assigned to the facility. 17 were found to have criminal records.
Reform Efforts
In response to the child abuse scandals in California’s foster care system, the state has made some efforts to reform the system. However, more needs to be done to improve the system and protect abused children.
One reform that needs to be made is increasing the number of social workers who are responsible for monitoring foster children. This is important as more eyes may mean more monitoring and a lesser probability of child sexual abuse.
Another reform that needs to be made is increasing the training that foster parents receive on how to identify and report child sexual abuse. Additionally, more needs to be done to ensure that foster parents are actually reporting abuse when they see it.
Finally, California also needs to do a better job of tracking cases of child sexual abuse in the foster care system. This will help identify patterns of abuse and allow for better prevention measures.
What Can You Do if You or Someone You Know Has Been a Victim of Child Sexual Predators in California?
If you or someone you know has been a victim of child sexual abuse in California, it is important to take action right away. You can start by contacting the California child sexual assault attorney office of Beck Law P.C., who can help you file a civil lawsuit against the abuser. In addition, you may also want to contact the police and report the abuse. It is also important to seek counseling and other support services to help you recover from the abuse.
