Over the past several weeks, a series of complaints have been filed in California courts regarding allegations of child sexual abuse at a San Diego County youth emergency shelter. The complaints allege that, between 1994 and 2020, more than 100 children were sexually assaulted by staff at the A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center. They were also allegedly threatened to keep them from reporting the abuse.
Even if it occurred decades ago, victims of sexual abuse at the San Diego Polinsky Center can seek justice and compensation through the legal system. The California sexual abuse attorneys at Herman Law can help. We offer free, confidential consultations to ensure you know your full legal rights and options.
Children are placed at Polinsky when they must be separated from their families for their own safety. Now adults, most of the victims were under 10 years old at the time. They assert that San Diego County failed to conduct adequate background checks for Polinsky’s employees, thereby failing to protect the children in its care. Additionally, the victims report a lack of supervision and “institutional failure” to adequately staff Polinsky. Supervisors at the facility allegedly received numerous reports of abuse but failed to respond.
“Polinsky essentially takes in the most vulnerable members of the community at the most delicate and disruptive moment of their lives,” read one complaint filed on August 27. “Rather than safeguarding plaintiffs, Polinsky created an environment that severely harmed and exacerbated the lives of the children that they were supposed to protect.”
One complaint includes six named plaintiffs who were victims of sexual abuse at Polinsky between 2009 and 2013. Alongside San Diego County, there are 50 unnamed defendants who worked for the facility at the time. Allegedly, twenty of these defendants perpetrated the abuse, though their identities are currently unknown. The plaintiffs allege negligence, negligent supervision of minors, and a violation of the Bane Act, which protects people from threats, intimidation, and coercion.
As the nation’s leading law firm for victims of sexual abuse, Herman Law is dedicated to ensuring their voices are heard through the legal system. For over 25 years, our foster care abuse attorneys have worked to empower survivors of sexual abuse. If you or a loved one were sexually abused at the San Diego Polinsky Center, you have an opportunity to pursue justice and hold the responsible parties accountable for the trauma you endured. Call (866) 545-4812 or contact us online to schedule a free, confidential consultation.