Over 500 former juvenile detainees suing NYC for sexual assault
More than 500 people claim they were victims of sexual abuse at juvenile detention centers.
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Juvenile detention centers in The Bronx and Brooklyn are in the center of hundreds of lawsuits against New York City.
More than 500 people claim they were victims of sexual abuse at Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brooklyn, Spofford Juvenile Detention Center in The Bronx, Horizon Juvenile Center in The Bronx and Rikers Island.
Jerome Block, an attorney at Levy Konigsberg, says these lawsuits represent "institutional failure" within the city's juvenile detention centers.
His clients are seeking compensation for injuries they say they suffered while in the city's care.
"The perpetrators in these cases are adult staff members," he cried Tuesday morning at a press conference held at Brooklyn Law School. "The very people entrusted in keeping people safe."
Plaintiffs also want reimbursement for the cost of bringing on these lawsuits, which claim the city failed to protect its child detainees
The city has tried to dismiss the claims, arguing only the actual people accused of performing the acts should be at fault.
Under the Gender Motivated Violence Act, amended in 2022, March 1 marks the last day for sexual abuse victims to file a claim.
