Overview

• On July 15, attorneys for survivors filed 107 new federal lawsuits against Illinois, bringing total claims to more than 900 from those abused in juvenile detention centers.
• Plaintiffs allege systemic sexual abuse from the mid-1990s to 2018, including rape, forced masturbation and beatings by officers and other staff across 10 facilities.
• Two suits in the Illinois Court of Claims seek the maximum $2 million per plaintiff while Cook County cases demand at least $100,000 each.
• Attorney General Kwame Raoul has moved to dismiss the lawsuits and his office has declined to comment on the growing litigation.
• Survivors and lawyers are urging criminal investigations, legislative hearings and independent oversight as few cases have reached trial or resulted in settlements.