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.
Across China: Protecting indigenous fish in Yunnan
Australian freshwater crayfish bring fresh vitality to rural Xinjiang
2024 Int'l Tourism Fair held in Madrid, Spain
China's express delivery sector sees double
Xi Story: Gaining a Deeper Understanding of Chinese Civilization at Yin Ruins
Canadian business council urges regular dialogue with China
Ice and snow tourism propels NE China into high
Chinese new energy vehicle sector speeds up expansion overseas
Rural scenery in China's Gansu
Chinese scholar introduces nation’s human rights protection of the disabled at Human Rights Council
Camping tourism rebounds as pandemic eases and spring comes
Chinese scholar introduces nation’s human rights protection of the disabled at Human Rights Council