What To Do If Your Child Was Molested While A Member Of An Organization
When you drop your child off to attend a youth group activity, you are usually entrusting another adult or perhaps a team of adults with your child's well-being while they are away from you. So, it can come as quite a shock if you one day discover that your child may have been sexually abused or molested by one of the adults employed by the organization in question. It's OK to be upset and angry in this situation, but you also need to keep certain things in mind in order to protect your child and protect a potential legal case. Here are some tips to keep in mind if you should ever, unfortunately, find yourself in this situation.
Don't Hesitate to Contact the Police
First things first, if it's clear that a crime has taken place, your first course of action before pursuing any kind of civil case against the youth organization should be to contact the police and let them take the lead. Let the criminal justice system do its part to get justice for your child. A conviction in a criminal molestation or sexual abuse case can also bolster your upcoming civil case, so don't rush the process.
Understand That the Organization Might Try Something to Keep You Quiet
It's not uncommon for an organization to try and save its own hide if it finds out it's been employing someone who has harmed the children in the organization's care. The organization might invite you to sit down and discuss what happened but tread cautiously. Do not accept a settlement in exchange for keeping quiet, and don't let the organization try and spin a different account of what happened. Let your child know that you believe them and let the organization know that you will not put up with an attempt to smooth the situation over.
You Need an Attorney to Represent You
For best results, especially when talking to an organization that may have been involved in harming your child, you need to hire a child molestation lawyer. Your lawyer can do the talking for you, both with the police and the organization in question if necessary. If you are offered a financial settlement, let your lawyer look it over first and make sure you are not being silenced from telling your story.
Child molestation is obviously a terrible thing, and emotions can run hot when it is discovered. But if you want to pursue a civil case in the future against the organization that employed the child molester, it's important to keep a level head and talk to an attorney as soon as possible.
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