Lawsuit Reveals: 10-year-old Girl Molested by Portland Boys & Girls Club Volunteer

Each year, more than a million children in the United States fall victim to sexual assault. Unsurprisingly, a majority of these victims are girls. The good thing is that the government, both at the state and the federal level, is taking action to protect children in the U.S from sexual predators. To provide protection to children, many state and federal laws have been formulated. Talking advantage of one such law, a 10-year-old girl in Portland filed a million dollar lawsuit against The Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Portland.

While filing the lawsuit, the girl alleged that a thirteen-year-old volunteer belonging to the aforementioned Boys and Girls Club molested her. The alleged incident took place in November last year at Russell Elementary in the Parkrose School District. Barbara Long, the girl’s attorney, says that a school surveillance camera snapped the accused boy inappropriately touching the girl, which according to her is enough evidence to take the proposed legal action against the Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Portland. Long further revealed that the police were looking into reports that the boy allegedly abused two other children as well.

As far as the million-dollar lawsuit is concerned, the aggrieved party says it is claiming damages from the Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Portland simply because the club failed to put reasonable measures in place to prevent child abuse, insufficiently superintending the boy and other teen volunteers. Authorities first looked into the matter after the girl’s mother reported the incident to school officials. Before informing her mother, the girl had told the teenage sister of her alleged attacker about what had happened, but alleged attacker’s sister refused to accept her claim.

According to the lawsuit, police officials are currently investigating the alleged abuse. The lawsuit was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Tuesday, January 24th. Immediately after the lawsuit was filed, a representative of the Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Portland was asked about the alleged incident. However, he refused to comment, saying that it was too early to make any comments.

The suit claims that the boy accused of sexual assault is a ‘civic leader’ for the Boys & Girls Club. It further states that the club failed to take measures to prevent abuse, even though its teen volunteers had been found guily of abusing children in the past. This claim is backed by investigators who say that a fifteen-year-old boy belonging to the Girls & Boys club abused a five-year-old girl in 2010. They further say that after being removed from the program the same year, the boy was allowed to re-register in 2011 at Hillsboro where he once again committed a sexual offense, this time against a 10-year old girl. Also, in 2014, a 23-year old volunteer belonging to the club was found guilty of sexual assault against three different girls.

The latest developments show the amount of the lawsuit being increased by $100,000. The extra $100,000 the lawsuit seeks is for a ‘lifetime of counseling expenses’.

Whether you’re a victim of sexual abuse or have been wrongly accused of sexual assault, heavenslawfirm can help you to get the justice you deserve. Contact them today to get legal help in case you have also suffered from one or more form of sexual abuse.