(PA)
CBS Local 21 [Harrisburg, PA]
August 2, 2024
By Elise Person
Nearly 150 cases of sexual abuse occurring at juvenile detention centers across the state have been filed within Pennsylvania’s court systems.
On Wednesday, 70 new cases of sexual abuse at 10 juvenile detention facilities across the state of PA were filed, bringing the total number of cases to 148 statewide.
A 55-page lawsuit was filed Wednesday against the Department of Human Services (DHS), where 20 people are alleging they were sexually assaulted as juveniles while staying at state-run juvenile detention centers.
The lawsuit against DHS alleges the department turned a blind eye to the abuse.
Jerome Block, attorney with Levy Konigsberg law, is representing the victims and called the abuse “systematic and institutional.”
“What we’ve seen in these cases is a culture of secrecy, where the adults working in the facility seem intent on protecting each other essentially from getting caught, as opposed to protecting children,” Block said.
Block said the culture of abuse at these detention centers is similar to the Catholic Church sex scandal.
“It reminds me of the Catholic Church sex abuse cases when the story first broke,” Block said. “We’re talking about more than 20 years of a pattern of sexual abuse.”
Court documents say the abuse took place at state-run facilities including: Loysville Youth Development Center in Perry County, North Central Secure Treatment Unit in Montour County, and South Mountain Secure Treatment Unit in Franklin County.
The documents said the abuse ranged from inappropriate strip searches to rape at these state-run facilities.
In total, there are now 36 cases of sexual abuse that occurred at Pennsylvania’s largest state-operated juvenile facilities.
The youngest victim in the most recent filing against DHS was just 13 years old at the time of abuse.
Block said the cases they’ve filed go back to the early 2000s.
“These cases of sexual abuse from these government operated juvenile detention centers in Pennsylvania include cases that occurred in recent years all the way up until at least 2022,” Block said.
Court documents indicate multiple instances where the abuse was reported but no action was taken.
In one case, court documents say the victim told their counselor about the sexual abuse they were experiencing. According to the documents, the counselor then told the victim, ‘This was normal’.
CBS 21 News reached out to DHS after the lawsuit was filed. In a statement to CBS 21 News, the Department said:
“The Department of Human Services cannot comment on pending litigation. DHS has zero-tolerance towards abuse and harassment, and we take seriously our responsibility to protect the health and safety of children at licensed facilities.”
CBS 21 also reached out to the Attorney General’s office on the matter. They said they could not comment.
The Governor’s Office told CBS 21 News they would refer to DHS for comment.
In the meantime, Block is voicing concerns about the children currently in Pennsylvania’s juvenile detention facilities.
“We have seen no evidence that the inadequate procedures and policies that have enabled the sexual abuse of children in these state-operated juvenile centers in Pennsylvania have been fixed. We’re concerned that children in these facilities today are not safe,” Block said.
Block said the purpose of this lawsuit is obtain discovery, meaning they could discover in more detail what DHS knew about the abuse taking place, how staff members were screened and monitored, and looking into internal documents from DHS.