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Former juvenile detainees file class action lawsuit alleging decades of abuse in Maryland facilities
Maryland's Department of Juvenile Detention continues to face allegations of sexual and physical abuse at their facilities. Now, there's a new class action lawsuit. FOX 5's Katie Barlow has the story.
ROCKVILLE, Md. - Maryland's Department of Juvenile Detention continues to face allegations of sexual and physical abuse at their facilities.
Now, there's a new class action lawsuit.
People who were once children at facilities, like the Aldred D. Noyes Children's Center in Rockville, are suing the Department of Juvenile Services.
New lawsuit alleges decade of abuse, neglect at Maryland juvenile detention centers
They say they continue to suffer from what happened to them behind closed doors – and they're concerned it's still happening.
"Everyone should be concerned that this continues to happen and that there are other victims that are currently in this situation," said Je Yon Jung, the lawyer for the plaintiffs. "I think there's a very, very good possibility that it's happening and until you have systemic reform you're just rolling the dice."
Three men and one woman claim Maryland employees physically and sexually abused them for years – going back to the 1980s up to 2015 – leading to suicidal thoughts, the inability to sleep through the night, major depressive disorder, and severe anxiety.
A new law that went into effect in October extends the time child victims of sexual abuse have to sue their abusers.
The victims' lawyer says they are choosing to remain anonymous for now – some of them have not even told their families what happened.
The woman – who goes by Jane Doe – says she was repeatedly raped and sexually abused in the shower and a supply closet when she was 14 years old.
She was never convicted and sentenced to detention. She was in the facility merely waiting for her case to be heard, but it was eventually dropped.
These claims against the Department of Juvenile Services go way back. In 2004, the United States Department of Justice said it found credible evidence of significant physical abuse by staff at two of Maryland's facilities.
In a statement sent to FOX 5, a spokesperson for the department said, "The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services has not been made aware of these new allegations. DJS takes allegations of sexual abuse of children in our care very seriously and we are working hard to provide decent, humane, and rehabilitative environments for youth placed in the Department's custody. The Department looks forward to reviewing the most recent lawsuits with the Office of the Attorney General."
Maryland's attorney general is responsible for ongoing monitoring and reporting at youth detention centers.
Read the explosive lawsuit below: