Juvenile Ranch Facility Sex Abuse Lawsuit

Until it closed in 2016, the Juvenile Ranch facility in Campo, California was supposed to be a place of rehabilitation for youth in the justice system. But now, lawsuits are exposing a horrifying pattern of decades of alleged unchecked sexual abuse. Multiple survivors have come forward sharing accounts of the abuse they experienced while confined at Rancho Del Campo and Rancho Del Rio, two of the main campuses of the juvenile ranch facility.

Most of the abuse described in current lawsuits occurred between the 1990s and 2010s, and the accusations go far beyond individual misconduct. They allege a systemic failure by San Diego County’s probation department to protect children. Those impacted say officers routinely isolated minors for sexual assault, sometimes in bedrooms, sometimes in secluded parts of the facility. If victims resisted, they were threatened with beatings, extended confinements, or worse. And when some tried to report it, they were ignored.

Both Rancho Del Campo and Rancho Del Rio were operated by the San Diego County Probation Department, which is now being sued for the harm. Lawsuits alleged the department failed to screen new officers, failed to intervene, and failed to investigate or punish perpetrators.

California’s juvenile detention system has been under increased scrutiny in recent years, and the law is finally catching up to protect survivors. Thanks to new laws in California, child sexual abuse survivors can now file lawsuits until their 40th birthday or within 5 years of realizing the harm the abuse caused. And as of 2024, there’s no time limit at all for new childhood sexual abuse lawsuits. This means even if your abuse happened years or decades ago, you may still have time to file a claim and hold the institutions who allowed the harm to happen responsible.

A civil lawsuit doesn’t just help you pursue financial compensation for therapy, pain, or lost opportunities. It also creates a record. It sends a message that this kind of institutional abuse cannot be ignored.

Here at Helping Survivors, we can connect those impacted with an experienced attorney to provide a free consultation today to help you understand your legal rights and options. Our partner law firms offer free confidential consultations and take these cases on contingency, meaning there are no upfront costs to pursuing a lawsuit.

If you were sexually abused at the juvenile ranch facility, whether it was Rancho Del Campo, Rancho Del Rio, or another San Diego County detention center, know that you are not alone and you have options. Please reach out to us today.