Survivors of sexual abuse are not alone. Every two minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. Every year, there are 200,000 victims of sexual abuse. Sexual assault victims come from every conceivable background. Male, female, young, old, black, white, rich, or poor—it does not matter. What is common is the complex range of emotions sexual abuse victims experience following a sexual assault. These emotions often include feelings of confusion, anger, shame, and depression. The Chicago sexual abuse lawyers at Kroot Law, LLC, are sensitive to these issues, having prosecuted numerous sexual assault, abuse, and molestation cases against individuals, professionals, churches, and corporations. We recognize that legal action is not for everyone. However, for some sexual abuse survivors, holding sexual abusers accountable, along with those who knew or should have known the abuse was occurring, is an important part of the healing process. To learn more, we invite you to contact trial attorney Jason M. Kroot of Kroot Law for a free and confidential consultation.
What is sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual molestation?There is no universally agreed upon definition of sexual abuse. However, most agree sexual abuse or molestation generally involves unwelcomed sexual behavior by one person on another person. Force need not be used. Threats, manipulation, and coercion are all methods that can be used to commit sexual abuse. While a sexual assault generally constitutes an immediate, isolated event, sexual abuse generally involves multiple sexual assaults over a period of time. Whether some is a victim of a single sexual assault or pattern of sexual abuse, the emotional damage is still devastating.
Civil Actions Against Sexual Abusers And OthersFor those interested in holding sexual abusers accountable, as well as those who allowed the sexual abuse to occur, there are a number of civil remedies available. The most common theory of liability against the sexual abuser is intentional tort based claims, including assault and batter claims. In addition to the abuser, there are others who may be responsible, at least in part, for the sexual abuse as demonstrated by the Penn State sexual abuse scandal. The most common theory of liability against others in sexual abuse cases is negligence. In the Penn State case, officials at the University seemed to have knowledge of the assistant coaches alleged sexual abuse but failed to take appropriate steps to stop the abuse. If you or loved one has been a victim of sexual abuse, contact Kroot Law for further information.