A California woman who said she was raped and impregnated at age 13 has filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.
According to a complaint filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, a victim identified as F.M. is suing the agency after she became pregnant by a foster brother living in the same home with her. The victim alleges that a caseworker arranged for her to have an abortion afterward, then sent her back to the same home to live, where the alleged abuse continued for years.
“Maltreatment of children in foster care has been a problem that defendants have failed to address in a reasonable manner consistent with their duties to children under their jurisdiction,” the lawsuit read, according to ABC 7.
The lawsuit states that the victim and her sister were placed with the foster parents in 1984 and lived there for around 13 years. DCFS claimed that the family was “approved, licensed, trained, supervised and/or compensated by defendants,” but the victim said not only did two foster brothers sexually assault her, but her foster father did as well.
The defendant said the abuse led to her developing a sexually transmitted disease. Her foster mother reportedly took her to a doctor after the victim kept experiencing pain in her private parts.
“At the clinic, she was diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease and advised her to be five months pregnant,” court documents state.
The lawsuit alleges that DCFS knew about the abuse but continued to allow it to happen.
The defendant is seeking an unspecified amount in damages. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Pixabay]
