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It is estimated that someone is sexually assaulted every 98 seconds in the US. And that on average over 300,000 sexual assaults occur per year in the US.
Sad but true, the fact is that most offenders of these crimes will not face criminal charges. But there are other avenues to obtain justice outside of criminal court.
Green & Gillispie seeks justice on behalf of sexual assault victims in civil courts. We want to help you move past this horrible event and obtain a sense of closure.
We take sexual abuse cases very seriously and fight to help our clients recover financial damages from their abusers and other liable parties. Sexual abuse can not be undone, but we focus on helping our clients move forward from the abuse and obtain for them the greatest possible financial compensation.
At Green & Gillispie we listen to your story, we help you understand your legal rights and provide advice on how we will move forward with your case. You have a right to take action against your abuser.
The actual abuser obviously carries liability for the harm he or she has inflicted, but there may also be other parties who are liable. We painstakingly investigate your case and identify all responsible parties.
We are experienced attorneys representing families that are affected by sexual abuse. We are very thorough in researching and preparing your case. When necessary we consult with psychologists, rape counselors, child abuse advocates, etc to leverage their insight and knowledge.
We have the experience and know-how to aggressively litigate cases against sexual predators while maintaining sensitivity towards all the powerful emotions involved. Sexual abuse emotional and psychological effects are long-lasting. You can rely on us to obtain results for you and your family.
Child sexual abuse is a topic that is difficult to discuss let alone think about. But for many Arkansas residents, child sexual abuse and molestation is a reality they have had to live through.
Every year there are possibly thousands of child sexual abuse incidents in schools, daycare facilities, camps, and churches. Through the civil legal process, we are able to fight back for these victims.
We specialize in child sexual abuse cases and have the experience and skill to assist sex abuse survivors. We are keenly aware of the sensitivity, discretion, and compassion required to handle these cases.
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There is no greater reward than when we can help victims who have been violated by those in a position of power. We have represented clients who have been sexually abused by supervisors, counselors, and priests.
We can never erase past abuse, but we will utilize every resource we have at our disposal to represent child sexual abuse victims so they may receive the compensation to which they are entitled.
The statute of limitations in Arkansas allows for the possibility to file a claim even if the abuse happened decades ago. It is important for you to come forward, regardless of when your sexual abuse occurred.
We will do everything in our power to ensure child sexual abusers and those who employ or protect child sexual abusers will be made to pay.
Sexual assault and abuse can take place anytime, anywhere. Victims of sexual assault and abuse suffer consequences that include physical, psychological and emotional trauma. These consequences can have a long term impact on the victim’s ability to establish and build healthy relationships.
We have deep experience prosecuting sex offenders. We are here to be your advocate and empower you. We leverage all the necessary forces to win your case.
If you are a victim of sexual abuse or if you are aware of a child who is a victim don’t delay in seeking help. Let us get you the financial compensation you deserve. Contact Green & Gillispie for a free and confidential initial consultation. Let us fight for you!
Read about Green & Gillispie sexual abuse lawsuit against the Boy Scouts here.
Yes, and we can help you do that.
Got more questions? Contact us for a free and confidential consultation.
Most persons who commit sexual abuse against minors are males and are coaches, educators, medical providers, therapists, nursing home staff, boy scout leaders, babysitters, foster parents, and religious figures. They are usually figures of authority or power. An offender could also be a neighbor, sibling, another student, stepparent, stepbrother or stepsister, or other family member, uncle or cousin.
If your loved one is a victim, we would begin with an investigation of the person, institution or organization that is responsible. In some cases, the state may have already begun criminal proceedings against the offender or is investigating the organization that employed the defendant. In a civil claim, a law firm can notify the responsible organization of the claim and file it in court so that subpoenas can be issued for documents and depositions taken of certain persons who were aware of the abuse or who should have been, and of other persons who were abused. We will also have to obtain various documents and records from you to support your case. Your claim may involve several causes of action such as assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and negligence in hiring or retention of the offender. For many victims, the court process is part of the healing process.
If the perpetrator was a neighbor, family friend, or babysitter, there may be compensation from the offender’s personal assets and occasionally from a homeowner’s policy that covers intentional acts. If the person was a sports coach, a doctor at a university, a staff person from a daycare center or nursing home, a foster parent, or a priest or pastor, compensation can be sought from the perpetrator’s employer or from the religious institution. If it took place in a foster home, then the county may be held accountable. In many cases, the employer, organization or institution that employed the offender was aware of the abuse but engaged in covering it up, failed to report it, destroyed or concealed evidence, denied it took place, or simply transferred the offender to another location.
Damages are usually for emotional or psychological distress. In some cases, punitive damages can be awarded against an organization that knew of the abuse but did nothing to stop it. Compensation can help victims pay for counseling and therapy in order to put their lives back together. In some claims against institutions or organizations such as schools and universities, daycare centers, the boy scouts, or religious institutions, the compensation can be considerable depending on how long the abuse lasted, the number of other victims, the failure of an organization to report the abuse, the extent and severity of your emotional harm, and available funds. Many victims suffer from fractured family and social relationships, drug and alcohol addiction, an inability to hold a job, and homelessness. Some commit sexual abuse against others or engage in other criminal activity as a result of having been abused themselves as children.
No, there is no requirement that the offender be first criminally prosecuted but a conviction or even an investigation of the alleged abuse can help your civil case. The burden of proof in a civil claim is that of preponderance of the evidence or that it is more likely than not that the defendant committed the act. In a criminal prosecution, the standard is beyond a reasonable doubt which requires more substantial evidence that the defendant committed the offense against you. If the defendant is convicted, it usually makes the civil case more amenable to settlement.
There are numerous symptoms that should alert you to possible sexual abuse:
In many cases, the child is reluctant, too fearful, or incapable of expressing the abuse. The child should be referred for medical care and professional counseling and the suspected abuse reported and investigated.
Evidence can be difficult to find in a sexual abuse case unless the victim has physical signs such as vaginal or anal bleeding, bruises on intimate body parts, unexplained injuries by the victim’s caretakers, or there are witnesses to the abuse. If the abuse occurred years ago, an attorney would usually have to find other victims of the same perpetrator with similar stories of abuse. If others had reported the abusive conduct by a sports coach, teacher, doctor, boy scout leader, or clergyman, for example, an attorney could subpoena records from the organization, institution, and police departments to find out if reports of abuse had previously been made or the organization held internal discussions that did not result in any prosecution, discipline or preventive measures. In many cases, we have found that these organizations covered up the accusations, retained the offender in a position of authority, or relocated the person where he continued to abuse others. Psychological records can also reveal common symptoms and memories of past abuse.
Arkansas law is complex when it comes to suing a perpetrator for childhood sexual abuse and/or the institution or organization that enabled the offender. Generally, you have 3-years from the time you turn age 18 to bring a claim. However, there are exceptions. For instance, the statute of limitations is tolled or paused when the perpetrator or the organization that enabled the perpetrator fraudulently concealed facts and information that would have alerted you to your cause of action. Additionally, you are allowed an extension of 3-years for delayed discovery of the abuse or delayed discovery of the effects of the abuse. Oftentimes this is used in cases where a victim repressed traumatic childhood memories. Discovering the effects of the abuse often means discovering the relationship between the abusive act or acts and your injuries. Many victims do not discover this relationship or even realize that they were sexually abused as children until decades after the abuse occurred and only after undergoing psychological counseling or therapy.
Sexual abuse is a term generally used to define sexual contact towards minors or unwanted sexual contact towards adults by a criminal perpetrator, who, most of the time, will be male. Very commonly, a sexual predator is provided access to his victims through an organization with which the predator is involved, such as a church, a school, or groups like the Boy Scouts. Sadly, these organizations often are aware or should be aware of the danger posed by the perpetrator but fail to take steps to prevent him from committing sexual abuse, which makes these organizations also liable. A sexual predator might be a school teacher or educator, a coach, a volunteer mentor, a clergy member, a Boy Scout leader, a foster parent, a medical provider, a therapist, a youth home worker, a pastor, a caretaker, an older peer, or any other person in a position of power or authority who uses their authority and position to commit sexual abuse. Sexual abuse typically involves direct physical contact such as fondling, molestation, kissing, oral sex, and anal or vaginal penetration. It might involve filming or photographing a child engaged in a sexual act; abusing a patient under the guise of medical treatment or therapy; using religious status or standing as a pretext to abuse; using promises, flattery or attention, drugs or alcohol, or otherwise threatening or coercing a child or an adult to engage in a sexual act.
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Little Rock Attorney Josh Gillispie Named 2017 Outstanding Member – Young Lawyer Division LITTLE ROCK, ARK – Little Rock Attorney Josh Gillispie of Green & Gillispie was recognized as the.
A person’s place of employment is a place they should feel welcomed and safe. Sadly, however, that is all too often not the case.
Being this far along in life, you still can’t make peace with the abuse you went through as a child.
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