Boy Raped In Group Home
May 24, 2001
A lawsuit filed against a group home for mentally troubled children is in the hands of the jury. The victim is seeking $2.5 million in damages. Nine teenagers claim they were raped and/or molested while residing in one of San Bernadino County's group homes for troubled children. These group facilities are classified as Level 14 homes, meaning that they are the last resort before children are admitted to a mental hospital.
The plaintiff, a 13-year-old boy, requested $2.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages for the attacks. The boy was 11 when the attacks took place in 1999. He was raped three times by counselor Steven Ayala, who pled guilty to sodomy and received a six-year prison sentence. The boy's attorney argued that the counselor and the facility's license holder, Victor Treatment Centers, should be held financially accountable. Evidence revealed that the boy had been seen sitting on a couch with Ayala, stroking his cheek. Despite his complaints of rectal bleeding, the boy was not taken to a hospital until he traveled to his parents' home for Thanksgiving.
The attorney for Victor Treatment Centers was outraged by the amount of the damage request and, during closing arguments, accused the boy's attorney of presenting false and misleading evidence.
Four other lawsuits have been filed against Victor Treatment Centers arising from similar claims.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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