Personal Injury Law

Chicago Park District Sued Over Rape of Teenage Girl

The family of a teenage girl is suing the Chicago Park District for personal injury because she was sexually assaulted by three of the Park District?s teen employees last year. The teen was 13 and a volunteer junior counselor at Hayes Park when the assault happened. While one of the teens pleaded guilty to criminal sexual abuse related to the attack, the other two teens pleaded guilty to charges of battery.

According to the Illinois personal injury lawsuit, park supervisor Monique Whitfield left the girl without proper supervision on several occasions, including on July 31, 2007, between 1 and 4pm. It was during this time that the girl was attacked and raped in the men?s locker room.

Premises Liability Involving Crimes
If you were a victim of a violent crime on another person?s property, you may be able to file a premises liability claim for personal injury against the property owner or manager. Premise owners and supervisors are supposed to implement the necessary security measures to ensure that residents, employees, visitors, customers, and other patrons are not at risk of becoming the victim of a crime while they are on the property.

Even if an assailant, burglar, or rapist is not directly affiliated with the premise or its owners, the property owners could be held liable for premises liability or wrongful death if he or she could (or should) have acted to prevent a crime from happening and someone is injured or dies.

Crimes that may arise on a premise because of inadequate security or failure to protect include:

? Sexual assault/Rape
? Stabbings
? Shootings
? Murders

Steps premise owners can take to properly secure a premise may vary, depending on the kind of property involved. Security cameras, staff supervisors, alarm systems, locks, security-controlled entrances and exits, proper lighting, and security staffers are just some steps that property owners can take to prevent crimes from happening on a premise.+

Girl sues Chicago Parks over sex assault, SouthtownStar.com, October 10, 2008

Teen sues park district over sexual assault, Chicago Tribune, October 10, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Chicago Park District

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on October 22, 2008 (boomark / email).