Eight new plaintiffs have come forward with allegations that they were sexually abused by guards while being held in San Diego County juvenile detention facilities.<\/p>\n
The abuse claims, which landed in San Diego federal court last week, come as the county departments of Probation and of Child and Family Well-Being already are confronting similar lawsuits<\/a> from hundreds of other former residents of juvenile halls, temporary shelters and foster care facilities.<\/p>\n San Diego County \u201chas clearly established sexual abuse and assault in jails, prisons and juvenile halls as an issue that must be addressed,\u201d says the legal complaint, initially filed in superior court.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a human rights issue that parties operating detention facilities can no longer turn a blind eye towards,\u201d it adds.<\/p>\n The County Counsel\u2019s Office, which oversees the defense of legal claims against San Diego County, successfully moved to transfer the state case into federal court. County officials declined to comment on the allegations, citing a policy of not discussing lawsuits outside court.<\/p>\n The case, which names eight new plaintiffs identified only as Jane and John Does, joins a litany<\/a> of similar cases.<\/p>\n The allegations spelled out in the new federal lawsuit are similar to prior claims from former residents of the Kearny Mesa and East Mesa juvenile halls, the now-closed Camp Barrett in East County and the Polinsky Center.<\/p>\n Lawsuit after lawsuit allege that boys and girls as young as 11 were subjected to sexual abuse by guards or other county employees.<\/p>\n \u201cThe sexual abuse Jane D.L.9379 Doe suffered at the hands of (two officers) began when she was approximately 14 years old and continued until she was approximately 16 years old,\u201d the newest legal complaint alleges.<\/p>\n \u201cIn or about 2004, Jane D.L.9379 Doe reported the abuse to a staff member at (Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility),\u201d the suit adds. \u201cJane D.L.9379 Doe believes her verbal reports were disregarded by the staff.\u201d<\/p>\n Other claims in the new lawsuit\u00a0allege\u00a0severe abuse, including rape. Lawyers for the victims say their clients continue to suffer mental anguish as a result of the claims.<\/p>\n The wave of litigation was prompted by state legislation enacted in 2019\u00a0that temporarily reopened the statute of limitations for sexual assault litigation against public agencies to allow\u00a0plaintiffs under 40 years of age to pursue civil cases.<\/p>\n School districts, county governments and other public agencies across San Diego County and the state say they are being overwhelmed with a flood of abuse lawsuits \u2014 many difficult to defend because the allegations are from decades ago. Some officials also accuse plaintiffs\u2019 attorneys of capitalizing on the state law as a money grab for big settlements and attorneys\u2019 fees.<\/p>\n