Physical and Sexual Abuse in Residential Settings
The attorneys at Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder represent clients who were the victims of sexual or physical abuse in residential or institutional settings, including residential schools, boot camps for troubled teens, halfway houses for paroled inmates, or addiction and mental health treatment programs.
Loosely Regulated, Profit-Driven
Many of these programs are profit-driven, loosely regulated or ill-supervised. Our law firm has won significant financial compensation for victims of sexual and physical abuse in these settings.
We prevailed on behalf of a 21-year-old mentally retarded man who was sexually abused by another resident at a for-profit group home. Our client was an innocent, vulnerable adult with the mental capacity of a nine-year-old. He was placed in an apartment with a resident who had a known history of predatory, sexual behavior.
Tough Love or Torture?
Young people are frequently victimized at therapeutic wilderness camps, boot camps and other schools and facilities for troubled teens. These facilities market themselves to parents as a last chance attempt to turn challenging kids around.
A study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office shows that these facilities can place children at risk of physical and sexual abuse, injury and death. The GAO study found 10 deaths and thousands of allegations of abuse and neglect at residential treatment programs.
"For example, during 2005 alone, 33 states reported 1,619 staff members involved in incidents of abuse in residential programs." — Residential Treatment Programs: Concerns Regarding Abuse and Death in Certain Programs for Troubled Youth, Oct. 10, 2007
Young people have died of dehydration on forced marches and from suffocation. Others have been seriously injured by lack of appropriate medical care. Residents of these programs are at risk for teacher and camp counselor abuse because the program management failed to provide appropriate training or screening of employees.
You Have Rights; We Protect Them
If you or a family member was abused at a camp, school or therapeutic treatment center, please contact our law firm as soon as possible to arrange a free and confidential consultation and case evaluation.
From offices in Bridgeport, Stamford, Danbury and New Haven, Connecticut, our personal injury and medical malpractice and civil rights lawyers represent clients throughout the state.
