Los Guilicos Juvenile Hall Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
The Los Guilicos Juvenile Hall, formally known as the Sonoma County Juvenile Hall, is a juvenile detention facility in Santa Rosa, California. The facility opened in 2005 under the operation of the Sonoma County Probation Department to provide temporary, safe, secure detention for youths who are “beyond the normal controls of the community.” Youths are detained at Los Guilicos pending their juvenile court hearings, while serving short-term commitments, or while awaiting out-of-home placement elsewhere.
Housing units at the Sonoma County Juvenile Hall are designed to target the specific needs of each youth and provide direct supervision. The county asserts that this type of design has been shown to reduce violence among juveniles and increase the potential for rehabilitation. The hall also has a sexual assault advocate on site, according to county resources.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
- Los Guilicos Juvenile Hall, also known as the Sonoma County Juvenile Hall, is a juvenile detention facility in Santa Rosa, California, operated by the Sonoma County Probation Department.
- No public allegations of juvenile detention center abuse have yet been made against Los Guilicos. However, sexual abuse at other facilities across California and nationwide has been the subject of thousands of lawsuits filed by survivors in recent years.
- If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse in a facility like Los Guilicos Juvenile Hall, Helping Survivors is here to help you understand your legal rights and options.
Allegations of Abuse and Neglect in Los Guilicos
A November 2024 inspection report of the Los Guilicos Juvenile Hall, conducted by the Sonoma County Juvenile Justice Commission, found no issues with the facility, though the commissioners did not speak directly with detainees during the inspection. The facility’s maximum capacity is 147, and the current occupancy is 59 youths. With 70 staff members, the staff-to-youth ratio was well above the state-mandated minimums for juvenile detention facilities.
Although its recent inspection reports were clean and no public allegations have been raised against Los Guilicos regarding abuse or neglect of detainees, numerous other counties and juvenile detention centers have faced accusations and lawsuits in recent years for sexual abuse.
Counties like San Bernardino, San Diego, and Los Angeles are facing hundreds of lawsuits from survivors who say they were sexually abused in county juvenile detention facilities by probation officers, counselors, and other staff. The lawsuits accuse county officials of failing to adequately screen officers before hiring them, failing to intervene and prevent abuse, failing to properly investigate complaints of abuse, and failing to discipline abusive officers.
Legal Rights and Options for Youth in Detention in California
Survivors of juvenile detention center sexual abuse in California have various legal rights and options for protecting themselves and holding the responsible parties accountable. Survivors can report the abuse to law enforcement or oversight agencies, which may lead to criminal charges against the perpetrator. Additionally, they may be able to file a civil lawsuit against the facility where the abuse occurred and its oversight agencies for failing to prevent abuse.
Under California law, survivors of sexual abuse and victims of crime have special protections and rights to protect them throughout the legal process. California’s Victims’ Bill of Rights, also known as Marsy’s Law, significantly expanded victims’ rights in the state, providing the right to be treated with fairness and respect, to be free from intimidation, harassment, and abuse, to safety, to confidentiality, to restitution, and more.
California also has a Sexual Assault Survivor’s Bill of Rights, also known as A.B. 1312, which provides victims of sexual violence with additional rights. These include the right to a 24-hour confidential sexual assault counselor or victim advocate, the right to ask for a temporary protective order, the right to a copy of your crime report, the right to a free forensic exam, the right to restitution, and more.
Reporting the Abuse
The Sonoma County Juvenile Justice Commission inspects the Sonoma County Juvenile Hall and the county’s other facilities and group homes regularly to ensure youth are treated with dignity and respect in a safe, humane, and just manner. The commission also investigates grievances and complaints at the Juvenile Hall. To file a complaint, survivors or their families can contact the commission online, by email, or by mail.
California also provides survivors of child abuse with several other avenues for reporting to the authorities and oversight agencies. You can file a complaint with the Bureau of Children’s Justice, which protects children’s rights in the juvenile justice system. If you believe your rights are being violated or you are experiencing harmful conditions in a juvenile detention center, you can also file a complaint with the Office of Youth and Community Restoration online or by calling 1-844-402-1880.
Filing a Civil Lawsuit
Under California Assembly Bill 218, survivors of childhood sexual abuse have an extended period to file civil lawsuits. This law, effective from January 1, 2020, allows survivors to file claims until they are 40 years old or within five years of discovering the abuse, whichever is later. Another law that took effect on January 1, 2024, eliminated the statute of limitations for these claims, but the law is not retroactive and only applies to abuse that occurred in 2024 or later.
For the above rules to apply, the detainee must have been under 18 at the time of the abuse. For detainees who were 18 or older at the time of abuse, the statute of limitations only allows 10 years to take civil legal action.
If You Don’t Know Where to Turn, RAINN Can Help
Call 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit Rainn.org to talk confidentially with a trained professional from RAINN about therapy resources and other mental health-related services. They can also connect you with local resources and organizations to support your healing.
How a Sexual Abuse Lawyer Can Help
Filing a civil lawsuit can be complex, and it is vital to have experienced legal representation to guide you through the legal process. A lawyer specializing in institutional child sexual abuse cases will understand how to handle the legal challenges specific to these types of cases and be prepared to advocate for you in court.
Speak With an Experienced Sexual Abuse Attorney
If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse while detained at Los Guilicos Juvenile Hall, also known as the Sonoma County Juvenile Hall, you have legal rights and options for seeking accountability.
At Helping Survivors, we work with survivors to help heal, educate, and empower them to move forward. We provide information on victims’ rights and resources for support. We also connect survivors with our partner law firms. These firms have years of experience in sexual abuse and civil rights cases and provide trauma-informed legal support to survivors throughout the legal process. Every firm we work with operates on a contingency fee basis, so you won’t pay anything unless they win your case.
To learn more about your legal rights and options as a survivor of juvenile detention sexual abuse and receive confidential support, contact Helping Survivors today.
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