Levy Konigsberg Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Six Men and Women Who Were Sexually Abused as Juveniles at Essex County Juvenile Detention Center

NEWARK, N.J., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Levy Konigsberg attorneys Moshe Maimon and Corey Briskin filed a lawsuit on behalf of six men and women who suffered sexual abuse during their confinement as juveniles at Essex County Juvenile Detention Center ("ECJDC").

Levy Konigsberg sued Essex County, alleging that it failed to protect children from rampant sexual abuse at ECJDC. The lawsuit, brought on behalf of six men and women who were abused as children at ECJDC, is the latest in a string of New Jersey juvenile detention abuse lawsuits spearheaded by Levy Konigsberg.

As detailed in the complaint, there is a well-documented history of abuse at ECJDC, with reports of abusive practices dating back to the early 2000s. At the time, the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission criticized ECJDC for employing forbidden restraints, including straightjackets and long-term isolation, to discipline juveniles detained there. In 2012, the United States Department of Justice issued a report finding that New Jersey has some of the highest rates of sexual abuse among juvenile detention facilities nationwide and that much of this abuse goes unreported. As a result of the County's failures, children suffered abuse at the hands of guards and other staff members at UCJDC who were responsible for their care.

The suits filed by Levy Konigsberg were brought under New Jersey's Child Sexual Abuse Act ("CSAA"), a 2019 law that expanded the statute of limitations for filing civil lawsuits in cases of child sexual abuse. Most of the survivors seeking justice in these lawsuits were abused many years ago, some as far back as the 1980s, suffering in silence until their claims were finally made possible by the CSAA. Despite the years separating their experiences, the six men and women whose claims were filed this week experienced disturbingly similar patterns of abuse, evidencing Essex County's systemic failure to protect the children in its care.

In announcing this week's filing, Levy Konigsberg Partner Moshe Maimon stated:

"For too long, vulnerable children in Essex County's custody have suffered unthinkable abuse at its juvenile detention center—victims of a broken juvenile justice system. The County had a responsibility to these children, and it failed to uphold that responsibility."

Levy Konigsberg has filed hundreds of lawsuits on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse nationwide and is at the forefront of CSAA litigation in New Jersey, having filed some of the first lawsuits about the widespread sexual abuse in the State's juvenile detention facilities. Earlier this year, the Associated Press covered Levy Konigsberg's lawsuit on behalf of 50 men who were abused at the New Jersey Training School, known as Jamesburg. Interested parties can read the article here. Since then, Levy Konigsberg has filed separate lawsuits on behalf of scores of men and women who were sexually abused as juveniles in juvenile detention facilities across New Jersey.

Levy Konigsberg represents hundreds of survivors of sexual abuse at New Jersey juvenile detention facilities and plans to continue fighting tirelessly on their behalf.

For additional information about child sexual abuse lawsuits spearheaded by Levy Konigsberg, please visit the firm's website or reach out to Partner Moshe Maimon using the firm's contact form.

Contact:
Erica Helcher 
[email protected]

SOURCE Levy Konigsberg