New Jersey’s Camden.Eleven survivors have sued Camden County, claiming the county failed to protect them from knowing and continuing abuse by adult staff members when they were held at the Camden County Youth Detention Center as children.
Attorneys Madeleine Skaller and Zoe Ferguson of Levy Konigsberg, a legal practice that has spearheaded multiple civil cases pertaining to institutional child sexual abuse around the country, filed the lawsuits. The most recent set of accusations, which describe what lawyers describe as widespread and systemic abuse, centers on the facility, also known as Lakeland.
The records state that the plaintiffs were minors in custody when the abuse took place, and that it was committed by adults who worked at the detention facility. According to the claims, Camden County demonstrated a persistent practice of carelessness by doing nothing even after becoming aware of persistent abuse.
When these survivors were young and in need of supportive services, they were taken to the Camden County Youth Detention Center. Rather, they endured unspeakable sexual abuse, Skaller said in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
A component of a larger lawsuit involving juvenile facilities in New Jersey
Levy Konigsberg has brought similar cases on behalf of survivors from juvenile detention facilities throughout New Jersey as part of a larger effort. The firm continues to pursue litigation in other states, including New York, Maryland, and Illinois, and currently represents hundreds of survivors from various facilities.
Despite knowing of rampant abuse within the facility, Camden County neglected to remove known offenders or put protections in place, according to the civil complaints, which include specific allegations of abuse and institutional inaction.
The newly filed cases have not yet been publicly addressed by county officials.
