We can only imagine what you’ve been through to be searching for our legal assistance today.
You never expected to be the victim of childhood sexual abuse, or the parent of a child of who has been physically or sexually abused. As with many crimes, most perpetrators are someone known from school, church or our community. If you or someone you love has been the victim of sexual abuse as a child, you’ve come to the right place for help. We want you to know that you are not alone, we believe you, and you deserve justice. What happened to you or your loved one is a wrong that can finally be righted.
We believe survivors, We believe in justice
You deserve to be heard. No one can ever turn back the clock and undo the harm that has been done to you or your loved one. But justice demands accountability, and in our system of civil justice, that accountability comes in the form of a verdict which includes money for the harms and losses suffered. While it can never make up for what happened, money is how we balance the scales. Money is also, of course, practical. It can provide material necessities and pay for the support you need to deal with the mental and emotional anguish caused by the trauma. We can’t promise that the road will be easy, but we will be by your side every step of the way.
We Need To Address This Problem
The trauma of childhood sexual assault lasts long after the moment it happened. Many survivors suffer silently because victims of assault are met with disbelief. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) someone in America is sexual assaulted every 98 seconds.
Every 98 seconds.
Even though assault against children is so prevalent, most survivors’ stories are treated with hostility and are sometimes pressured into staying silent.
“So many years past being raped, I tell myself what happened is ‘in the past.’ This is only partly true. In too many ways, the past is still with me. The past is written on my body. I carry it every single day. The past sometimes feels like it might kill me. It is a very heavy burden.”
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body, Roxane Gay
Many times, childhood sexual assault can take place within institutions and organizations that turn a blind eye to the abuse. Powerful people pretend the assaults are not happening and put no safeguards in place to prevent them from happening again.
We Cannot Ignore This Anymore
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau‘s 2010 report, 9.2% of children were victims of sexual abuse.
That means almost 1 in 10 children are victims of sexual assault.
Like adult sexual assault victims, many children do not report their abuse or out their abuser.
Of the nearly 321,500 victims age 12 or older of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States:
- 15% are between 12-17 years old
- 54% are between 18-34 years old
- 28% are between 35-64 years old
- 3% are 65+
No matter your age, race, gender, sexual orientation, or income bracket- any child could be the victim of sexual abuse.
It Does Not End There
Children who experience the trauma of sexual assault know it does not end after the attack is over. You may experience depression, anti-social behavior, difficulty with emotional development, loss of self-esteem, self-abusive behaviors, or suicidal tendencies. With many of the sexual predators being someone you know and trust, we understand why the psychological side effects are so intense and long-lasting.
“Since then I’ve always thought that under rape in the dictionary it should tell the truth. It is not just forcible intercourse; rape means to inhabit and destroy everything.”
― Alice Sebold, Lucky
How can you trust another person when something like this happened to you or someone you love?
We want to work with you to help you get the resources you need to get treatment and get your life back. We also want to hold negligent organizations responsible for allowing the assault to take place in the first place.