Illinois faces new lawsuits over alleged abuse in youth detention centers
Survivors speak out after alleged sexual abuse at youth detention centers
New lawsuits were filed Monday adding to the hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse within Illinois' juvenile detention system.
CHICAGO - Survivors of sexual abuse at Illinois Youth Centers (IYCs) and the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) have filed new lawsuits against the state, bringing the total to 800 cases.
New lawsuits filed in Illinois
What we know:
The lawsuits, filed on Feb. 10, allege that staff members—both men and women—sexually abused minors at these state-run facilities.
Many survivors have named the same perpetrators, pointing to a longstanding institutional failure to protect children.
Lawsuits were previously filed in July and September 2024 by survivors who claimed they were abused at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.
What's next:
Attorneys and survivors will hold a press conference on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. in Chicago to discuss the lawsuits and criticize the state's recent attempt to dismiss the cases.
Speakers include:
- Todd Mathews, partner, Bailey & Glasser LLP
- Jerome Block, partner, Levy & Konigsberg LLP
- Numerous survivors who will share their stories
Abuse at Illinois juvenile facilities
The backstory:
A coalition of attorneys and survivors announced the filing of lawsuits in July 2024 on behalf of nearly 200 people who were allegedly sexually abused as children at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago.
The lawsuits, filed by Bailey & Glasser LLP and Levy Konigsberg LLP, involve 37 female and 156 male survivors who claim they suffered sexual abuse while confined at the facility, formerly known as the Arthur J. Audy Home.
The alleged abuse occurred between 1995 and 2022, when the victims were between the ages of 9 and 17.
The accused perpetrators include male and female staff members of the detention center.
This new wave of lawsuits adds to nearly 400 cases of alleged child sexual abuse in Illinois juvenile detention centers, with over 200 similar cases filed earlier in 2024 related to state-operated Illinois Youth Centers, according to the attorneys.
Nearly 200 juveniles sexually abused at Cook County detention center: lawsuits
A coalition of attorneys and survivors announced the filing of lawsuits on behalf of nearly 200 people who were allegedly sexually abused as children at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago.
Then, in September 2024, a staggering number of new lawsuits were filed, adding to the hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse within Illinois' juvenile detention system.
The lawsuits, brought on behalf of 272 survivors – 40 females and 232 males – detail experiences at state-operated Illinois Youth Centers and the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center between 1996 and 2021.
The lawsuits named dozens of staff members – men and women – with some being named by multiple survivors.
Many of the survivors were under 16 years old at the time of the alleged abuse.
The Source: Information from this article came from previous FOX 32 coverage, along with Bailey & Glasser LLP and Levy & Konigsberg LLP.