California Child Molestation Attorneys
Many of the heartrending child sexual abuse and molestation stories we hear about at Abramson Smith Waldsmith LLP are those having to do with violations of precious trust by authority figures in situations invariably leading to violations of a defenseless victim's body and dignity.
The perpetrators can range from police officers, doctors and therapists, volunteer organizations, park rangers, camp counselors and security guards to daycare providers, school athletic coaches and teachers, clergy and juvenile detention center or prison officials.
State appointed foster parents have even been known to be authority figure sources of abuse. Studies have shown that 90 percent of convicted pedophiles know their victims through some sort of authority/underling power imbalance, and these pedophiles will exploit that inequity to their advantage.
If an authority figure has betrayed your trust and molested or abused you or if a similar event has struck your child or the child of someone you know, contact our aggressive California lawyers immediately.
Teachers, Coaches, Clergy
Many state laws now require that criminal background checks and fingerprinting measures be conducted for new public school employees, such as teachers and athletics coaches, because many closeted pedophiles will not have prior criminal records.
Over 300 California educators had their teaching licenses revoked or suspended for sex-related offenses from 2001 through 2005
Youth organizations have also been shown to be inadvertent havens for child molesters, giving offenders access to children, a method for bonding and encouraging secrecy, and opportunities to spend overnights with potential victims. The perpetrator will play to the loyalty factor, loyalty to both leader and group, and institute systems of rewards and recognitions for his or her prey. The overall long-range goals are control, manipulation and eventual calls to action. The background of all leaders of youth organizations, especially if they are not the parents of other children in the group, should be carefully examined.
Other abusers in positions of authority revered by a child, who can use that reverence and influence to criminal advantage, are camp counselors, religious leaders, law enforcement officers and therapists. Each abuser's role can make an investigation for child abuse especially difficult too, since the abuser often employs fear and shame to manipulate and persuade the victim not to testify against the abuser. These "authority figure" abusers often deny any allegations, and can be very effective and articulate in their own defense.
Our Cutting Edge Technologies
We have been a leader of those law firms successfully using courtroom technology and electronic case presentations to get results for their clients. Our computer techniques shed new light on information about abuse by teachers or coaches, for instance, and allow juries to understand a large amount of evidence in a brief period of time. The ways in which the technology clarifies complex issues, highlights inconsistencies in testimony, and efficiently presents information, can all work to your benefit.
Your Initial Consultation
When a trusted authority figure, such as a church camp counselor or middle school coach, violates that trust and sexually preys upon a defenseless child, attention must be paid. Society should drive the predator from its midst and do what it can to both prevent the event's recurrence and right the wrong to the victim with just and fair compensation.
That's where we come in at Abramson Smith Waldsmith LLP in San Francisco. If your child or the child of someone you know has been the victim of a sexually predatory authority figure, call our lawyers toll-free today for a free confidential consultation.
