Polinsky Children’s Center
The A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center, a San Diego County-owned emergency shelter for children, is facing lawsuits alleging that over 100 children were sexually abused by staff members at the facility. If you or a loved one has been sexually abused while residing at the Polinsky Children’s Center, you may be able to file a civil lawsuit against the center and the parties who allowed the abuse to occur. It’s crucial to understand your legal rights and options for pursuing justice and holding those responsible for your trauma accountable.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
- The Polinsky Children’s Center is an emergency shelter for children in San Diego County and has recently been named in several lawsuits alleging decades of unrelenting sexual abuse by staff members.
- At least 100 people have spoken out about the abuse they endured as minors at Polinsky Children’s Center, saying the county failed to protect vulnerable children at an institutional level.
- If you experienced abuse as a child at Polinsky Children’s Center, you may be eligible to file a civil lawsuit against the facility to receive compensation for your suffering.
What is the Polinsky Children’s Center?
Owned and operated by San Diego County’s Health and Human Services Agency, the Polinsky Children’s Center provides temporary emergency shelter for children in the county who must be separated from their families for safety reasons. A series of lawsuits filed in late 2024 alleges that facility staff members sexually assaulted at least 100 children and the county failed to protect children in its care. The lawsuits also allege that the Health and Human Services Agency failed to employ adequate background checks and screening when hiring staff, paving the way for institutional abuse.
Allegations of Abuse at Polinsky Children’s Center
Each lawsuit filed against Polinsky Children’s Center alleges a pattern of widespread abuse by staff and a culture of silence among victims. The alleged abuse depicted in the lawsuits ranges from groping and molestation to repeated sexual assault involving children aged two to 17 between 1990 and 2023. Some survivors say they faced threats of more severe and frequent abuse if they reported the assaults or did not submit.
Across all the complaints, there are 50 unnamed defendants—likely past or present staff members. There are also named defendants, such as San Diego County, which survivors accuse of negligence and lack of oversight.
Polinsky Children’s Center Sex Abuse in the News
Over the past few years, more than two dozen lawsuits have been filed regarding systemic abuse at Polinsky Children’s Center. Survivors say San Diego County should be held responsible for pervasive abuse that stemmed from a complete lack of supervision. Children at the center were often left isolated and in vulnerable situations that invited abuse, according to the suits.
In July 2024, the San Diego County Juvenile Justice Commission released its inspection report of Polinsky Children’s Center for the 2023 calendar year. The report found multiple allegations of staff physically assaulting, verbally threatening, and inappropriately touching minor residents. In total, the center underwent 37 investigations in 2023 for reports of physical and sexual abuse, not providing dignity or respect to a child in care, not meeting a child’s dietary needs, and personal rights violations. Only three of those investigations concluded as “substantiated” and resulted in disciplinary action to staff.
Rights and Options for Individuals Impacted by Abuse at Polinsky Children's Center
If you endured abuse while at Polinsky Children’s Center, you may be eligible to file a civil suit to seek compensation for your suffering. While a criminal case can help sexual abuse survivors get justice by sentencing the perpetrator to prison time, a civil lawsuit makes the perpetrator and any institutions that enabled them financially responsible for the harm they caused.
File a Civil Lawsuit Against Polinsky Children’s Center
In 2020, California passed the Child Victims Act, extending the age and time limits for cases alleging childhood sexual abuse. Starting on January 1, 2020, any survivor of childhood sexual abuse can file a civil lawsuit against their perpetrator until their 40th birthday or five years from the date they discovered the emotional or psychological injuries the abuse caused.
The Child Victims Act also included a three-year lookback period that allowed adult survivors of any age to file lawsuits regarding childhood sexual abuse, no matter how long ago it occurred. Additionally, there is no civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse occurring in 2024 or later in California.
Report Abuse to Law Enforcement & Oversight Agencies
Even if you only plan to pursue a civil lawsuit regarding childhood sexual abuse and not a criminal case, it’s important to report the abuse to law enforcement and the appropriate oversight agencies to build your case. You can report childhood sexual abuse to the following agencies:
- The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department: The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office investigates cases of abuse against children aged 14 or under. To contact the Sheriff’s office, call 858-868-3200 or 858-285-6222 for the Child Abuse Unit.
- San Diego Child Welfare Services: The Child and Family Well-Being Department, a branch of the Health and Human Services Agency, aims to prevent youth from entering the welfare system. The department also investigates reports of suspected child abuse and neglect and administers the Polinsky Children’s Center. You can contact the county’s Child Welfare Services Hotline at 858-560-2191 or 800-344-6000.
- California Attorney General’s Office: The Office of the California Attorney General administers a Child Abuse Central Index of investigated reports of child abuse. The reports in this index contain information related to substantiated cases of physical, sexual, or mental abuse or neglect of children in the county. If you wish to press criminal charges against the perpetrator of your abuse, the Attorney General can help.
- The San Diego County Juvenile Justice Commission: The Juvenile Justice Commission annually inspects all publicly administered juvenile institutions in the county used to confine any minor for over 24 hours, including the Polinsky Children’s Center.
How a Sexual Abuse Lawyer Can Help
If you endured sexual abuse as a child while in the care of Polinky Children’s Center, you may not even realize the severity of what happened to you until years or even decades later. While talking about your abuse with an attorney can be an extremely difficult and often traumatizing task, it is the best way to start exploring your legal rights and options. Every survivor’s experience is unique; what you choose to do afterward is ultimately your choice. There is no right or wrong answer after experiencing harm.
At Helping Survivors, our mission is to help heal, educate, and empower people impacted by sexual assault and abuse by informing them of their rights and options, connecting them to resources and educational content, and making legal introductions to partner law firms. If you experienced childhood sexual abuse at Polinsky Children’s Center, we can help you start your journey to justice by holding the institutions that enabled your abuse accountable.
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