A victim of sexual assault endures injury, pain, and suffering well beyond the physical effects of the attack. Profound emotional wounds haunt such victims for the rest of their lives. The criminal justice system can punish attackers for their crimes, but the financial restitution for victims lies in the hands of civil courts.
Although it may seem impossible to attach a monetary value to the damages inflicted from a sexual assault, one must consider that such an event does wield an economic impact on the victim—the cost of medical and psychological treatment and the inability to work now or in the future, for example. Legal measures do exist for recovering some of these damages in civil court. In many cases, the liability for a sexual assault extends beyond the perpetrator—perhaps to an organization or institution—increasing the likelihood that the victim can recover damages.
If you or a loved one suffered sexual assault, a lawyer from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm will take your case and fight for your right to receive compensation—no matter who is liable. Call us today for a no-obligation consultation. (800) 219-9622.
Types of Sexual Assault
Sexual assault comprises many types of actions. All types, however, hold one thing in common: They happen against the victim’s will or without their consent. Sexual assault also covers actions that occur when an individual is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, disabled, or below the age of consent in the state where the assault transpired.
The National Institute of Justice lists the following activities as forms of sexual assault when they happen in the above circumstances:
- Intentionally touching the victim’s genitals, breasts, groin, or anus
- Exposing the victim to exhibitionisms
- Exposing the victim to pornography
- Voyeurism
- Publicly displaying images taken of the victim in a “private context” or without their knowledge
These actions may or may not involve the use of actual force, weapons, threats of force, intimidation, coercion, or pressure.
Rape
Although in some states, sexual assault stops short of attempted rape or rape, other states use the terms interchangeably, and still others consider rape to be a form of sexual assault. In a situation of rape, the victim suffers nonconsensual penetration (vaginal, anal, or oral), either by objects or the perpetrator’s body parts. This type of assault involves physical force or threats of physical harm. Alternatively, the victim is considered a minor or was incapacitated at the time of the assault.
Child Sexual Assault
Children often conceal a sexual assault from their loved ones. Their feelings of embarrassment or guilt or fear of retribution from their assaulter may cause young victims to keep the incident to themselves. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) is the country’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. This group urges loved ones to be aware of some of the signs of sexual assault that a young child or teen may exhibit.
Warning Signs of Sexual Assault in Young Children
- Resuming bedwetting or thumb-sucking (after the child has already outgrown it)
- Age-inappropriate sexual behavior
- Reluctance to remove clothes for bathing or to change
- Unwillingness to remain alone with particular individuals
- Nightmares, fearfulness, worry
- Unnatural knowledge or talk about sexual matters
When in doubt, follow your instincts regarding the possibility that your young child suffered sexual assault.
Warning Signs of Sexual Assault in a Teen
These signs can fly under the radar, as many loved ones may view them as extensions of the teen years:
- Depression, worry, or anxiety
- Bruising
- Unexplained weight loss or weight gain and unhealthy eating habits
- Drops in grades
- Self-harming
- Alcohol or drug use or abuse
- Talk of suicide or suicidal behavior
- Inattentiveness to hygiene, fashion, or appearance
- Sexually transmitted disease
Keep in mind that the teen may be harboring feelings of guilt or shame. Urge them to talk to you, and make it clear they carry no blame for the assault.
For a free legal consultation with a Sexual Assault Lawyer serving nationwide, call (800) 219-9622
Clergy Abuse
When a clergy member perpetrates sexual assault, they inflict profound emotional and spiritual wounds on their victims, adding to the pain and suffering of their physical injuries. Sadly, the world continues to uncover great numbers of such assaults—many of which occurred years ago and for which their victims suffered a lifetime of pain.
The Catholic Church recently garnered the lion’s share of attention with regard to sexual abuse, and the institution at large recently stepped out of the shadows of this disgrace by publishing a database of publicly accused priests in the U.S. Because of these church-verified revelations, states have now implemented legislation, like New York’s Child Victims Act, that extends statutes of limitations for these offenses. These laws enable victims to seek compensation from the church decades after the abuse occurred.
It should be underscored, however, that these actions extend to every faith and type of religious institution, including Muslim and Jewish congregations, and various denominations of Christianity, as well as schools connected with these institutions.
A sexual assault lawyer from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm is ready to hold any clergy member and/or the church or other institution with which they affiliate accountable for the damages they cause through sexual assault. Call us today for a free consultation.
Sexual Assault Lawyer Near Me (800) 219-9622
Jeffrey Epstein Victims Compensation Fund
Jeffrey Epstein Victims Compensation Fund
The Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program (VCP) was established to help alleviate some of the damage resulting from Jefferey Epstein’s reprehensible sexual abuse of women and girls. Anyone who endured sexual abuse from Epstein can file a claim to recover the compensation she deserves.
If you are a victim of Jeffrey Epstein, Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can help you file your claim and seek justice.
The deadline to register your allegations so you can be considered for compensation from the Epstein VCP fund is February 8, 2021. The deadline for filing a claim is March 25, 2021.
Call us today at (800) 219-9622 for a free consultation.
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Why the Fund Was Created
For 17 years, Epstein sexually abused women and girls and forced them to provide sex services to the rich and powerful clientele of his sex trafficking ring. The abuse occurred from 2001 to 2018 at multiple estates in New York, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, France, and New Mexico. These victims, ranging in age from 12 to 17 years of age, suffered physical, emotional, and psychological abuse that has left lifelong scars.
The Epstein estate consulted with the attorney general of the U.S. Virgin Islands and with attorneys for various victims to create the program. Individuals who register as claimants will have their claims reviewed and, if eligible for compensation, could receive anywhere from thousands to millions of dollars, according to Jordana H. Feldman, the VCP fund Administrator.
By accepting payment from the VCP, a victim waives her right to file an individual lawsuit against the estate. In return, the claimant receives compensation without having to endure the publicity or wait for the resolution of her court case, which could take years.
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About the Epstein VCP
Victims of Epstein’s abuse can receive payments from the Epstein VCP—an entirely confidential, voluntary, and non-adversarial program. The VCP began accepting claims from victim-survivors of Epstein’s sexual abuse on June 25, 2020.
To qualify for consideration by the Epstein VCP Administrator, claimants with new allegations of sexual abuse by Epstein must register their allegations on or before February 8, 2021. The filing deadline for claims is March 25, 2021.
Pintas & Mullins Law Firm represents victims of sexual assault who want to recover compensation for the physical, emotional, and financial damages they have endured. We strongly believe that anyone who suffered sexual abuse by Epstein deserves to recover losses. We will fight for your right to receive compensation from the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Fund.
Important Details About the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program
Decisions regarding claimants’ eligibility and compensation fall under the exclusive authority of Feldman, the VCP fund Administrator. A prominent sexual abuse expert, Professor Marci A. Hamilton, consults the Administrator on her decisions.
The Epstein Estate will pay claimants in accordance with Feldman’s determinations and cannot change or deny compensation or eligibility that Feldman has authorized. Payouts are not limited by any caps, according to a statement by Feldman.
Release of Future Liability
If you accept payment from the Epstein VCP, you must agree to waive your rights to file a future lawsuit aimed at obtaining additional damages from the estate, as well as Epstein’s employees, or those who were “engaged by his entities,” Feldman explained.
However, participation in the VCP is completely voluntary. This means that even if you file a claim to receive compensation from the fund, if you are not satisfied with the amount the program offers, you do not have to accept the payment. As such, you retain your right to seek compensation via a civil lawsuit against the Epstein Estate.
If you do accept payment from the program, and you consequently release the estate from future liability, you still can file a lawsuit against anyone not employed by Epstein to whom you were sexually trafficked.
Furthermore, you are free to share information to help criminal investigations, and you are permitted to share your story in any public format you wish.
Terms of Eligibility
If by the effective date of June 25, 2020, you had already filed a claim or lawsuit against Epstein and/or the Epstein Estate for sexual abuse you endured at Epstein’s hands, you can participate in the Epstein VCP.
If you suffered sexual abuse by Epstein but had not filed a claim or legal action by the effective date of June 25, 2020, you, too, can participate in the program by completing a registration form on the Epstein VCP website.
Even if a court would have barred your case—perhaps due to an expired statute of limitations—or if you had a prior settlement, you can still apply for compensation through the program.
The answers you provide in this form play a significant role in your ability to recover compensation from the Epstein VCP fund. Consider talking to a Pintas & Mullins Law Firm lawyer before you attempt to file a claim on your own, as the process is complicated.
Let us help protect your rights. We will respect your need for confidentiality, and we will handle your claim with the utmost respect and professionalism.
An Opportunity to Be Heard
No amount of money can mend the abuse and trauma experienced by Epstein’s victims, and the VCP administrators know this to be true. Still, they hope that those afflicted will find the courage to step forward in this anonymous and confidential forum, if for no other reason than simply to be heard.
“This program provides victims of Jeffrey Epstein the opportunity to be heard outside the glare of public courtroom proceedings, and to receive acknowledgment by an independent third party as to the legitimacy of their experience and the long-term suffering it has wrought,” Feldman explained in a statement.
The private nature of the program has encouraged the participation of many of Epstein’s victims who otherwise did not feel comfortable enduring the publicity of a courtroom trial. By the program’s June 25, 2020 launch date, 70 victims had expressed an interest in participating in the program, according to Feldman.
Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm Today
The legal team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm strongly believes that every woman or girl who suffered from Epstein’s sex trafficking ring deserves compensation. We have handled sexual abuse cases in our practice, and we can put our knowledge to use in helping you get justice.
Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today at (800) 219-9622 for a free consultation.
Criminal and Civil Actions Against the Perpetrator
Criminal law generally rates rape and sexual assault as felonies. If convicted, the perpetrator will face a range of possible penalties, from fines to life imprisonment, depending on the nature of the offense.
Victims can also name the attacker as a defendant in a personal injury lawsuit. This legal action gives the victim the means by which to seek compensation for the physical, economic, and psychological damages they sustained as a result of the sexual assault.
Common Injuries From Sexual Assault
A victim of sexual assault may suffer physical injuries if the attacker used physical force in the assault. However, injuries from this nightmarish experience extend far beyond the immediate bodily harm of the incident.
RAINN identifies a broad range of effects of sexual violence that may affect the victim for long periods of time, if not a lifetime. They include:
- Self-injury
- Substance abuse
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Sleep disorders
- Panic attacks
- Pregnancy
- Eating disorders
- Dissociation
- Suicide
By filing a personal injury lawsuit against the perpetrator and/or the liable organization or institution that somehow enabled the sexual assault, the victim can seek to recover the damages they sustained from their attack. The recoverable amounts may include costs of medical treatment, loss of current or future potential income, and non-economic damages, like emotional stress, pain and suffering, and diminished enjoyment of life.
If you lost a loved one from the injuries they suffered from their sexual assault, you may also be eligible to pursue a wrongful death action. The legal team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can handle this action for you and do so with dignity and compassion.
We Fight for Compensation for Sexual Assault Victims
If you or a loved one suffered a sexual assault, you deserve to receive compensation.
The legal team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm will represent you in this fight. We will take our legal fees from any settlement or award you receive, so you pay us nothing up front and nothing unless or until we win your case.
Sometimes, the liability for sexual assault extends beyond the attacker. Large institutions, like the church, and other organizations may bear responsibility. We are not intimidated by the size or social position of these defendants, and we do not shy away from tough cases. We will fight for justice on your behalf.
Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today at (800) 219-9622 for a free, no-obligation consultation.
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