Campground and Sleepaway Camp Sexual Abuse Claims
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Summer Camps must never allow children to be sexually abused.
Sexual abuse at children’s overnight and day camps has tarnished the lives of thousands of kids over the past several decades. A recent CBS News expose uncovered reports of more than 500 alleged acts of sexual abuse at camps over the past 50 years, though many experts believe the actual number of abuse cases is significantly higher. While the overwhelming percentage of adults and teens who work at summer camps are responsible and trustworthy, camps also attract would-be predators who see a ripe environment for engaging in horrific acts of molestation and abuse.
Seeking Justice for Survivors of Sexual Abuse at Children’s Camps: Holding Camps Accountable for Failing to Protect
Parents trust those who run children’s camps to ensure the safety and well-being of their kids while they attend. This includes properly screening, hiring, training, and supervising counselors and staff to prevent abusers and acts of abuse from causing irreparable physical, psychological, and emotional harm to the campers in their care. For decades, all Camps have known that they needed to have strong abuse prevention policies in place. When a camp and its leadership fail to meet this fundamental responsibility, they can and should be held accountable. At Berman & Simmons, our lawyers specialize in working with survivors of childhood or adolescent sexual abuse, including those who experienced such trauma at an overnight or day camp. With empathy, compassion, and a deep appreciation of the courage it takes for victims to come forward, we fight to get sexual abuse victims the justice they deserve and the compensation that can help them move forward.
Lack of Standards and Oversight Leaves Campers Vulnerable to Predators
More than 14 million American kids attend camps each year. Maine is a mecca for summer camps. It seems like everyone went to camp in Maine when they were a child. In Maine alone, over 63,000 campers come to the state every summer, contributing $495 million to the state’s economy. Run by a wide range of religious groups, youth organizations, private companies, and public entities, summer, overnight, and day camps are a huge industry. But it is also an industry that is surprisingly and relatively unregulated, and lacking uniform standards for safety, training, and accreditation.
For example, eight states have no licensing requirements for overnight camps, and in 18 states, there are no mandatory background checks for counselors and other employees. Combine this lack of oversight with thousands of kids away from home, unsupervised by parents, and in unfamiliar environments. It is easy to see why sexual predators gravitate towards summer camps to have unsupervised access to vulnerable and vulnerable and impressionable children.
Protecting Campers: Essential Steps for Preventing Sexual Abuse at Children’s Camps
Regardless of any regulatory requirements, camp operators have a duty to take reasonable steps to avoid hiring potential sex offenders and prevent acts of abuse. These steps can include:
- Conducting criminal background checks as part of the hiring process.
- Providing sexual abuse awareness training for staff members.
- Establishing policies and procedures for identifying, reporting, and addressing incidents of suspected sexual abuse.
- Educating campers on what to do if they feel unsafe or experience inappropriate staff conduct.
- Creating a system to monitor the behavior of older campers with their younger peers.
Survivors of Camp Sexual Abuse Can Now Seek Justice No Matter How Long Ago the Acts Occurred
Most acts of sexual abuse at overnight, summer, or day camps constitute criminal offenses that can result in severe penalties for the perpetrators of such heinous acts. But victims can also seek justice, accountability, and compensation through civil lawsuits against not only the individual abuser but also against the camp owners, operators, and leadership whose negligence allowed or facilitated the abuse
Those abused and assaulted at children’s overnight or day camps can carry the burdens of their experiences for years or decades until they are ready to come forward.
All survivors of Child Sexual Abuse can file lawsuit now.
Maine recently changed the law to allow any victim of childhood sexual abuse to bring claims and seek compensation from their abuser no matter how long ago the abuse occurred. Berman & Simmons Practice Group Leader Michael Bigos testified before the state legislature regarding several bills designed to help survivors and was present when Maine Governor Janet Mills signed the statute of limitations extension for childhood sexual abuse lawsuits into law.
Compassion, Confidentiality, and Care for Victims of Sexual Abuse at Camps
At Berman & Simmons, our experienced sexual abuse attorneys will work with you in a manner that acknowledges the difficulty of discussing your trauma and the courage it takes to do so. Our lawyers are committed to maintaining confidentiality, respecting personal boundaries, and standing up against those who abused their power to take advantage of vulnerable children. If you suffered sexual abuse while away at camp as a child and are ready to speak with one of our Maine child sexual abuse attorneys and learn more about your rights, please contact us to arrange a free, confidential initial consultation.
Hire Our Qualified Sexual Abuse Attorneys in Maine
If you’ve been sexually abused at a Campground or Sleepaway Camp and need expert legal counsel, turn to Berman & Simmons. Our sexual abuse lawyers will help you get maximum compensation and bring accountability to institutional abuse.
If you suffered sexual abuse as a child and are ready to speak with one of our Maine child sexual abuse attorneys and learn more about your rights, please contact us to arrange a free, confidential initial consultation.