Lawsuit: Village For Families and Children Negligent in Sexual Assault of Girl

“In 2019, DCF removed Sunshine from her adoptive parents after she told case workers that a spanking from her mother had left bruises. The state returned her to the Village for Families and Children, where the then-11-year-old was allegedly sexually assaulted by a teenager.

In a lawsuit brought by the family against the Village in December[2022], the family blamed the Village staff, saying negligence and lack of supervision led to their daughter being assaulted. The family is also critical of DCF’s decision to remove Sunshine from their home in the first place, saying state case workers conducted an inadequate investigation into the child’s abuse complaint. ”

“The lawsuit accuses the Village for Families and Children of inadequately monitoring Sunshine and the teenage boy who allegedly assaulted her. The girl was in DCF custody at the time, her father said.

“They [Village] went on as if this was business as usual,” said the father, who is named in the lawsuit as John Doe. “They did not want to take any blame. This happened on your watch. How does this happen?”

The Village said in its defense filing that the girl lied to caretakers so she could be alone with the boy who allegedly assaulted her.

The lawsuit, which asks for more than $15,000 in damages, claims that the Village, whose employees are trained to handle children with emotional problems and knew about the girl’s history, should have been equipped to protect her.”

““It is far from clear that an institution charged with custody of a minor alleged to have suffered a sexual assault while in such custody can rely on a claim that the assault victim’s own negligence was a substantial factor in causing the assault,” the court wrote in the ruling to strike.

The updated defense says the girl had arranged to meet the teenager in a bathroom, distracted staff so the boy could go from his bedroom to the bathroom, then went into the bathroom for a “pre-planned sexual encounter,” among other steps she took to “deceive and mislead” staff at the Village.

“The plaintiff’s injuries and/or damages were caused, in whole or in part, by the negligence and carelessness of the minor plaintiff,” the defense reads.”

CT residential facility negligent in sexual assault of girl, lawsuit alleges
[CT Mirror11/16/22 by Ginny Monk]

REFORM Puzzle Piece