The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) reports that over 50% of sexual assaults occur in victims’ homes. Another 30% occur while victims are on their way to or coming home from school or work. A sexual abuse lawyer in Citrus Heights can assist you in taking legal action against a perpetrator if you ever find yourself in one of these scenarios.
However, sexual abuse commonly occurs in other places, too. RAINN also reports that about 12% of incidents happen within victims’ workplaces, while approximately 7% take place within their schools.
This might cause you to wonder, “Can I hold an institution liable for sexual abuse in Citrus Heights with help from an assault and abuse attorney?” Keep reading to find out.
Holding an Institution Liable for Sexual Abuse
Victims and/or their families reserve the right to hold institutions liable for sexual abuse in California. They may pursue civil litigation for abuse against institutions like:
- Schools
- Churches
- Sports leagues
- Boy Scouts of America/Girl Scouts of the USA
- Other youth organizations
They may also consider filing civil lawsuits against their employers through sexual abuse or sexual harassment lawyers in certain instances.
Some sexual assault victims and/or their families choose to file claims against both perpetrators and the institutions they believe allowed these perpetrators to commit crimes against them. It all depends on the circumstances of their cases.
Proving Institutional Negligence in a Sexual Abuse Case
When victims and/or their families take legal action against the institutions where alleged sexual abuse occurred, they must work to prove institutional negligence. They will not necessarily earn legal victories over these institutions simply because they were where crimes occurred.
To accomplish this, they must prove the four key elements of negligence:
- Duty of care: An institution was legally obligated to protect a victim.
- Breach of duty: It failed to live up to its legal obligation.
- Causation: Its inability to meet its duty led to a victim sustaining physical injuries, emotional pain, and/or psychological damage.
- Damages: A victim suffered economic and/or non-economic losses because of an institution’s shortcomings.
A sexual abuse lawyer in Citrus Heights must prove an institution either knew about the risk of abuse perpetrated against a victim or should have known about it and didn’t do enough to minimize it.
To assist a survivor, legal counsel will typically try to prove negligence on an institution’s part by gathering many different forms of evidence. Here are just a few examples:
- Past complaints filed against perpetrators
- Background checks, or the lack thereof, for perpetrators
- Witness accounts of perpetrators engaging in inappropriate behavior
Proving institutional negligence comes with many challenges, but an attorney will assist you in building a strong case.
Hiring the Right Sexual Abuse Lawyer in Citrus Heights
Taking legal action against institutions that allegedly demonstrated negligence in sexual abuse cases requires victims and/or their families to hire the proper legal representation. They must search for experienced, dedicated, reliable, and trustworthy attorneys.
These lawyers must also serve as more than just legal representatives. They need to be Citrus Heights victim advocates, providing victims and/or their families with the support and resources they need throughout their legal proceedings.
Contact Us To Take Legal Action Against an Institution in a Sexual Abuse Case
If you would like to hold an institution liable for a crime committed against you, The Cifarelli Law Firm is here to help. We can set you up with a sexual abuse lawyer in Citrus Heights to handle your case.
You can also turn to our legal team when you need a child abuse attorney in Citrus Heights or a lawyer to tackle another type of personal injury lawsuit. Call us at 949-409-6324 to schedule a free consultation.
