The nationally recognized law firm Levy Konigsberg has filed 85 new Maryland juvenile detention sexual abuse lawsuits as of late April, bringing the total number of lawsuits to at least 650 since 2020. These cases shed detailed light on the sexual abuse plaguing Maryland’s juvenile justice system. This marks the latest effort to hold the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services accountable for what has been described as decades of systemic failure to protect vulnerable juveniles in state custody.

While the lawsuits contain varying claims, a consistent theme emerges, abuse by predatory staff, rampant violence against juvenile inmates, a lack of oversight or meaningful reform when needed, and widespread neglect.

All the lawsuits have been filed under the Maryland Child Victims Act, a landmark law passed in 2023 that opened the floodgates for legal action against the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, among other institutions. Under this law, the rights and legal options for childhood sexual abuse victims have expanded significantly. Not only does it remove previous time limits imposed by the statute of limitations, but it also broadens accountability.

Victims can now pursue legal action not only against their abusers but also against institutions that failed to protect them, including churches, schools, and agencies like the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services.

Previously, Maryland’s statute of limitations allowed victims to file claims only until they turned 38. Under the Maryland Child Victims Act, plaintiffs can now bring lawsuits even after their 38th birthday.

Victims Make Alarming Claims of Abuse and Sexual Assault

The plaintiffs in the newly filed lawsuits were held in juvenile detention centers across the state, including the Cheltenham Youth Detention Center, Thomas J.S. Waxter Children’s Center, and Charles H. Hickey, Jr. School.

National outlets, including the Associated Press, have reported on the lawsuits, giving victims a platform to share their experiences. One victim described how the department “locks them inside a cage to become the prey of sadistic staff whom they cannot escape.”

Facilities like the Charles H. Hickey, Jr. School have been labeled “hotbeds of sexual abuse,” with staff turning a blind eye to a “culture of abuse” that persisted for decades.

Among the allegations against the facility are claims that staff routinely entered children’s cells to rape them, sometimes in groups. Other staff members allegedly placed children in solitary confinement, subjected them to physical violence, or falsified behavioral reports to extend their incarceration. Some abusers reportedly bribed children with snacks, cigarettes, and outdoor time in exchange for sexual favors. As one lawsuit explains, “Many girls who simply needed help went straight from difficult home lives into a traumatizing, prison-like environment where they were regularly sexually abused.”

State Bill Aims to Limit Victim Rights

Maryland is one of over a dozen states that have rolled back restrictions for victims of child sexual abuse in recent years. Like other states, Maryland hopes this law will highlight victims’ rights and reinforce that such crimes against children will not be tolerated.

A growing number of victims abused while in the custody of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services have come forward, with Levy Konigsberg leading the charge as one of the first firms to file lawsuits against the agency under the Maryland Child Victims Act.

Although the new law was designed to support sexual abuse survivors, state legislators quickly introduced limitations. One such restriction is House Bill 1378, passed in late April, which cuts potential victim compensation awards in half.

Before the bill’s passage, Levy Konigsberg issued a statement on behalf of 221 men and women represented in a lawsuit against the state, saying in part,

“The State of Maryland failed thousands of children by enabling rampant, institutional sexual abuse in juvenile detention centers for decades. Now the State is failing these survivors again through the passage of HB 1378, which, if approved by Governor Moore, would unfairly limit recoveries for child sexual abuse survivors and unconstitutionally revoke substantial rights provided by the Maryland Child Victims Act.”

While the new House Bill creates an obstacle for victims, it does not eliminate their right to pursue legal action even years or decades after the abuse occurred. Though the bill has passed, it will likely face legal challenges that could further expand victims’ rights.