LA County May be Forced to Pay $3 Billion in 3,000 Claims of Child Sexual Abuse in Foster Homes, Children Shelters, and Probation Camps

Three years after the Child Victims Act went into effect, L.A. County — responsible for facilities meant to protect and rehabilitate the region’s youth — has emerged in court filings as one of the biggest alleged institutional offenders. Two weeks ago, in an otherwise dry budget document, county officials delivered figures that stunned even some of the most seasoned California sex abuse attorneys. County officials predicted that they may be forced to spend between $1.6 billion and $3 billion to resolve roughly 3,000 claims of sexual abuse that allegedly took place in the county’s foster homes, children shelters, and probation camps and halls dating to the 1950s. The county is gearing up to litigate the cases, bringing on 11 law firms to work through the claims. Experts say the volume is unlike anything they’ve heard of in local government. There is only one apt comparison, attorneys say: the Catholic Church.