A disturbing series of events is being reported in Pennsylvania that highlights the need to report suspected sexual abuse. Gerald Sandusky is a former assistant football coach at Penn State. He also worked for a charity called The Second Mile, which purported to help troubled youth. A grand jury in Pennsylvania has found that Sandusky sexually assaulted multiple young boys over a significant period of time. Further, he used the football program and facilities at Penn State as a lure to attract the young boys. Read the grand jury indictment here.
The real tragedy about this abuse is that several people had knowledge of it, but they never spoke up. For instance, The Second Mile knew about suspected abuse in 1998. Despite this, they continued to give Sandusky one-on-one time with multiple minor boys. By looking the other way, they helped facilitate the ongoing sexual abuse. Also, they did not have an effective procedure for monitoring adult / child relationships that would have brought these actions to light sooner.
Penn State might also share the blame for this abuse. Employees of the university had notice of questionable and inappropriate activity as early as 1998. However, employees of Penn State failed to notify police about the situation. By burying this matter, it allowed Sandusky to continue to lure young boys into vulnerable situations, including a specific instance of abuse which allegedly occurred in a Penn State locker room in 2002.
The victims of this sexual abuse need to seek both criminal and civil justice. Obviously, a criminal conviction will lead to incarceration for Sandusky. This will protect other children from future sexual abuse.
However, these sexual abuse victims also need to seek a financial recovery from third parties, such as The Second Mile and Penn State. This will provide them with funds for counseling and compensation for significant emotional abuse.
By looking the other way, these entities fostered an environment that allowed abuse to continue. A civil lawsuit against these institutions will put other organizations on notice that they cannot simply turn a blind eye to the existence of improper behavior. Forcing these entities to financially deal with these situations will lead to better policies, which will protect other children in the future.
