Sexual abuse at youth detention center spanned decades

On Behalf of | Apr 12, 2021 | Sexual Abuse - Plaintiff

Accounts of crimes against children, especially crimes of a sexual nature, often leave a pit in one’s stomach. Children relying on adults to keep them safe sometimes face sexual abuse from those same adults or endure a lack of help from other adults in positions of authority. This maltreatment can have lasting effects on these children even as they grow into adulthood, and the parties who commit such atrocities should be held accountable. 

New Mexico readers may be interested in recent arrests that have taken place in another state relating to the sexual abuse of multiple teens at a youth detention center. The allegations of over 200 individuals state that they suffered abuse at the hands of staff members at the center, and those allegations stem from events that took place from 1963 to 2018. At the time of the report, seven former workers had been taken into custody. 

One individual stated that in 1998 he was beaten and raped by a staff member. When another supervisor noticed the boy’s injuries and asked what happened, the supervisor brushed off the child’s abuse accusations by saying “that just doesn’t happen.” Other harrowing accounts from victims allege the following actions: 

  • Physical and sexual abuse 
  • Being forced to fight other detainees for food 
  • Facing weeks or months of solitary confinement 

Though criminal charges against parties who commit sexual abuse are necessary, the survivors of such abuse may want to remember that they could take legal action of their own. Seeking justice against abusers can come in various ways, and understanding one’s options is not always easy. Individuals who believe that they have reason to take legal action against an abuser may wish to discuss their situations with New Mexico attorneys experienced in such cases and in empowering survivors. 

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