Since the Maryland General Assembly eliminated the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits last year, the number of victims filing lawsuits with the state’s juvenile justice agencies has increased to 200.
The latest lawsuit, filed Thursday on behalf of 63 plaintiffs, alleges abuse is rampant at 15 juvenile detention facilities. Some of them have since closed, but others remain open.
Maryland’s Democratic Gov. Moore says in speech that the state leaves “too much potential” open.
At least 10 other charges have been filed so far alleging abuse of incarcerated youth under a Maryland law change that took effect in October, which allows juveniles to be abused, regardless of age or time elapsed. This opens the door for victims of child sexual abuse to file lawsuits. Lawmakers approved the changes with the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal in mind after a scathing investigative report revealed the scope of problems within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. But in recent months, an unexpected spotlight has been placed on the state’s juvenile justice system.
The Child Victims Act faces widely anticipated constitutional challenges that must be resolved first, potentially significantly delaying pending litigation.
The wave of lawsuits also comes as the Maryland General Assembly is considering increasing oversight of the state’s juvenile justice system and reversing some reform measures enacted in 2022, a proposal that could lead to more of children are more likely to end up in prison, critics say.
The complaint filed Thursday documents what plaintiffs’ attorneys call systemic problems that pervade Maryland’s network of juvenile detention facilities. The allegations span decades, from 1969 to 2017.
More than 200 people have accused Maryland juvenile detention centers of child sexual abuse.
The state’s Department of Juvenile Services has long faced criticism for inadequate conditions within its facilities.
Department spokesman Eric Solomon said the department has not yet received the latest lawsuit.
One of the plaintiffs in Thursday’s complaint was just 7 years old when she endured abuse at the Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center in 1992. According to the complaint, the employee who abused her commented that she was the youngest girl on the unit and that she promised to: “Please protect her in exchange for submitting to her abuse.” That facility closed in 2022.
Many of the plaintiffs said their abusers offered compensation such as extra meals, phone calls, and time away. Some said they had been threatened with violence, solitary confinement, long prison terms, and transfer to harsher facilities.
In addition to correctional officers, the complaint also includes accusations against nurses, librarians, teachers, counselors and others. Many of the victims claim they reported the abuse, but facility management took no action.
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One of the teenage victims was hospitalized with complications from two sexually transmitted infections contracted from repeated rapes, according to the complaint. The alleged abuse occurred at the Montrose School in Baltimore County just before it closed in 1988.
The victim said two guards entered his cell at night and took turns beating him, restraining him, and raping him. He was detained in his early 2000s at his junior school, Charles H. Hickey, which is still in operation in Baltimore. According to the complaint, the victim sought treatment for injuries sustained during the assault, but doctors did not believe him.
In a separate lawsuit filed in December, the plaintiffs called Hickey School a “hotbed of sexual abuse” and accused the Department of Juvenile Services of turning a blind eye for decades.
Attorney Jerome Block, who represents the plaintiffs in the recent lawsuit, said some of the issues described in the complaint are likely still ongoing. “There’s no reason to believe anything has changed,” he said.
Earlier this week, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) joined state lawmakers in unveiling a proposed juvenile justice package that would increase accountability across the system and require greater coordination between the various agencies involved.
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The bill, enacted in response to recent increases in gun crimes and auto thefts by youth, was quickly criticized by some advocates and lawyers, including Maryland Public Defender Natasha Dartigue. It drew criticism and said thousands more children would be imprisoned each year.
