San Diego Child Sexual Abuse Victim Attorney

No parent wants to think about the possibility of their child being abused. Unfortunately, it is a horrific reality that thousands of parents are forced to come to terms with each year. There are over 485,000 reports with allegations of child abuse of children under the age of 17 made each year in California, and of those, 68,773 were substantiated in whole or part.

If your child has been a victim and has been sexually abused, an experienced child sexual abuse attorney can fight to get them justice and hold accountable those who caused, facilitated, enabled, and failed to report the abuse. While nothing can fix the abuse, civil suits aim to restore the victim to the position they would have been in financially had the abuse never occurred.

Some of the country’s most trusted institutions and professions, including U.S. Gymnastics, clergy, doctors, dentists, coaches, teachers, boy scouts and girl scouts, and sports camps have all been exposed for instances—and in some cases, long concealed cover-ups—of child sexual abuse. Sadly, that list is hardly comprehensive. Child sexual predators often have a lifetime of experience concealing their behavior and are very good at blending in. Parents often report that the perpetrator was someone they would never expect, who was very friendly and easy to get along with—however, predators act that way for a reason.

Coming to terms with the fact that your child has been sexually abused can be incredibly overwhelming emotionally, financially, and legally. With so many competing needs, it can be hard to know where to start. Hiring an experienced attorney to be your advocate can be a good place to start taking your power back. You are able to focus on taking care of yourself and your child and hand the legal worries over to a lawyer.

In California, victims have the right to pursue justice in criminal court, civil court, or both, if you choose. The criminal justice system is designed to punish and rehabilitate offenders, while the civil court system is designed to restore the victim financially to the position that they would have been in had the abuse never occurred.

You have the right to seek retribution and restitution for the harm caused by the abuser, as well as by officials who failed to report it, and facilities, officials, and organizations that enabled it.

If your child has been molested or abused, it is important to talk to a child sexual abuse lawyer sooner rather than later. There are statutes of limitations limiting the amount of time you have to bring a claim. The lawyers at Boertje & Associates are ready to fight for you and hold the individuals and organizations that harmed your child accountable. If you are considering whether bringing a lawsuit is the right choice for you, schedule a free consultation today.