PMPBR Leads the Fight for Justice at the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Center: State Reports Finds Sexual Assaults & Deplorable Conditions, Six Staff Terminated
Attorneys: Cary McGehee, Jennifer Lord, and Bayan Jaber
Cary McGehee said that after reading the state's investigation, it's clear that the assaults were "foreseeable and preventable."
A newly released state investigation finds staffing failures at the Wayne County juvenile jail from last spring when a 12-year-old boy said he was punched, stomped in the head and raped by other youths in separate incidents off and on over several hours.
The state probe finds fault with staffers whose jobs were to ensure the youth's safety, but several people working inside the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Center say top leaders knew about the dangerous conditions and failed to act. The county confirmed it recently forced a half-dozen staffers out of their jobs.
Report: Staff failed to protect 12-year-old allegedly raped in Wayne County juvenile jail. Watch the Fox 2 News Report.
State: 12-year-old repeatedly assaulted inside Wayne County juvenile facility. Watch the WXYZ Report.
Children are being housed in filthy rooms. They are being denied necessary medication, food, basic hygiene, clean clothes, bed sheets, schooling, showers, recreation, and calls and visitation from family. And they have been subjected to horrific sexual assaults by other detainees. The state and the county have the means to remediate this situation but have failed to do so, traumatizing children in the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Center who are often in the facility because of poverty, mental illness, and parental neglect.
Our team has filed a Notice of Intent with the State of Michigan to file a lawsuit against the State of Michigan, Wayne County and government officials to rectify the deplorable conditions that have existed for over a year for youth detainees at the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Center leading to the gang rape of one of the youths in March of 2023. These inhumane conditions are due to inadequate and poorly trained staff, overpopulation, and insufficient state residential treatment facilities. The state and the county have demonstrated deliberate indifference to the welfare of the children who are detained in the facility.
Detroit Free Press: “New sex assault allegation emerges from Wayne County juvenile jail”
Other Coverage:
WXYZ Detroit: “Wayne County, state officials trade blame as juvenile jail continues to spiral”
Detroit News: “State intervenes in troubled Wayne Co. juvenile facility after alleged sex assault of child”
Click on Detroit: “State steps in after 12-year-old reportedly sexually assaulted inside Wayne County juvenile facility”