Sexual Abuse Lawsuits in Youngstown
Since the last few years, many incidents of sexual abuse are coming into the open, providing the victims a chance to the justice they deserve. With the increasing attention from media and social media, many cases involving influential people have come to light where the victim remained silent as the oppressor was someone in a position of authority, like members of the clergy or Boy Scout or even prominent people.
At Youngstown Criminal Law Group, our Youngstown clergy abuse lawyer has been handling cases of sexual abuse for many years. We understand that the journey of the victim was not easy and that is why we approach the case with complete compassion. We ensure that you or your loved ones get the rightful justice.
What Is Sexual Assault
Sexual assaults are the incidents of rape, attempted rape or touching the body of the victim over the clothes without their consent. In all the states of the US, sexual assault is defined in a similar manner, where the victim is pressured, coerced and didn’t give consent for the sexual act. Since 1993, in all states of the USA and the District of Columbia, marital rape is also considered a crime.
What Is Forcible Rape
Forcible rape is the incident where the oppressor has used any kind of physical means to pressure the victim and performed the sexual act without consent. The statistics on forcible rape can be astounding to anyone.
- Almost 20% of women have said that they have been the victim of forcible rape at one point in time.
- 80% of the cases of forcible rapes have happened when the victim was below 25 years. This means that at the time of the incident, the victim must have been in college.
- Only 20% of the forcible rapes get reported.
- 2% of victims are men. 30% of victims were raped when they were children.
- In 25% of the cases, the perpetrator has been arrested. Most of the time, the rapist was not arrested or prosecuted.
In the case of forcible rape, the perpetrator is someone the victim knows e.g. a former lover, dating partner, and even spouse.
Child Sexual Abuse
Cases of child sexual abuse are also on the rise. In these cases, the child is generally manipulated, coerced or pressured for the act where the adult or the adolescent rapist is involved. These cases include:
- Forcible rape
- Using psychological pressure on the child for sexual gratification
- Showing pornographic images to the child
- Watching child pornography
Often, in these cases, the victim has been pressured by someone in the position of authority, like parents, older siblings, relatives, priests, Boy Scout leaders and camp counselors. A perpetrator is a person whom the child has trusted. As a result, after the incident, often the victim suffers from various issues like depression, PTSD, anxiety for the rest of their lives.
Victim’s Rights in the Case of Sexual Assault
In Youngstown, the victim of sexual assault is entitled to the following rights:
- Filing civil lawsuit for the wage loss, physical and mental suffering compensation
- Depending on the severity of the case, the victim can file the criminal lawsuit
- Seeking a permanent change in workplace policy and prevention of the situation including termination of the perpetrator
- Filing complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the right state agency
Connect With Youngstown Sexual Assault Lawyer
If you are in Youngstown and looking for Youngstown sexual abuse lawyer, then come to us at Youngstown Criminal Law Group. Our Youngstown clergy abuse lawyer will diligently listen to you and ensure that you get the rightful justice. For a consultation, give us a call now at (330) 992-3036.