The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has a stated mission: “…to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.” The ideals of the movement include trustworthiness, loyalty, helpfulness, friendliness, and bravery. They also include obedience, a factor that may have led thousands of children into dangerous situations with trusted adults.
The cases involving sex abuse and the BSA largely revolve around Scout Leaders who took advantage of young and helpless children – predominantly boys – with charges ranging from inappropriate touch to rape. That this happened at all is absolutely unacceptable. That it happened under BSA watch, at the hands of BSA leaders, is intolerable, and something that demands swift and aggressive legal action.
Victims Deserve Justice
Victims of childhood sexual abuse deserve justice – even when they come forward as adults. Currently, victims of the BSA range in age from under 10 to over 90, and dozens of lawsuits against the organization have already been filed. If you were victimized by a Scout Leader, you have every right to have your story heard and to seek justice in the form of compensation from the organization that allowed these types of abuses to not only happen, but to happen with alarming regularity.
Sexually abusing a child is a criminal act. Tragically, the statute of limitations does not allow for criminal prosecution of child abusers if a certain amount of time has passed – as if the damage done simply fades over the years.
Victims of BSA sexual abuse may still be entitled to take legal action and seek compensation for physical and emotional suffering to help offset the lifetime of struggle childhood sexual abuse can cause. If you have been abused by a Scout Leader or know someone who has, we strongly encourage you to get in touch with our office and learn about your options and your rights.
Please call the Cifarelli Law Firm at 949-502-8600 to schedule a free case review with one of our lawyers. Located in Irvine, we welcome victims of childhood sexual abuse from all surrounding areas of California.
