CHICAGO (AP) — Child sexual abuse at Illinois juvenile detention centers was pervasive and systemic for decades, according to disturbing accounts in a lawsuit filed Monday by 95 men and women housed at the youth centers as children.
The lawsuit details alleged incidents of abuse from 1996 to 2017, including gang rape, forced oral sex, beatings and groping of children by corrections officers, sergeants, nurses, therapists, a chaplain and others at nine youth centers. Many plaintiffs said they were threatened or rewarded to keep quiet.
“The State of Illinois has allowed a culture of abuse at Illinois Youth Centers to flourish unabated,” the 186-page complaint said.
The lawsuit, filed in the Illinois Court of Claims, follows similar harrowing allegations of child sex abuse at juvenile detention centers in Maryland, New Jersey, New Hampshire, California and New York City. Some cases have gone to trial or resulted in settlements; arrests have been infrequent.
How Rita Moreno uses honors like an upcoming public television award to further her philanthropy
China Adds 158 New Professions to Occupation List
1.52 Mln People Sit China's Civil Servant Exam
China's Women Jump to Second Place in FIBA World Rankings
Woman, 62, is left baffled as she turns up to a hospital scan only to be told she's already dead
China Claims 5th Straight Women's Title at Table Tennis Team Worlds
China Reaches First Women's Basketball World Cup Semifinals in 28 Years
China Prepares to Launch Shenzhou
Baby Reindeer knocked off Netflix's top spot by new 'must
James Corden appears in good spirits as he arrives with glamorous wife Julia Carey at the pre
China Issues Special Stamps Marking Year of the Rabbit