Institutional Sexual Assault In Sports And Why Victims Should Speak Up
Institutions are notorious for covering up crimes. Think Larry Nassar, Jerry Sandusky, etc. Sadly, it seems these perpetrators are protected by reputation and fame which makes their crimes all the more heinous. Institutions are supposed to protect their people from harm and misconduct, not provide spaces to prey on the vulnerable. And yet, as the world saw with the Catholic Church scandal or the Larry Nassar case, many times institutions handle sexual abuse allegations internally instead of involving the law which protects the perpetrator and shields them from punishment.
If you or a loved were sexually abused by a coach, team doctor or youth leader, speaking up can get you the justice you deserve, hold the responsible parties liable, and prevent future people from experiencing the same. It’s not easy or comfortable to stand up for yourself and share your experience. You owe it to yourself to hire a sensitive, compassionate and vigorous institutional sexual assault lawyer to defend your case and get you the compensation you deserve.
Understanding Institutional Sexual Abuse
Institutional sexual abuse is when rape, assault, abuse, or harassment occurs between members of an institution and a victim. Schools, sports leagues, religions, nursing homes, and major youth programs (ex. Boy Scouts) are all examples of institutions and are legally responsible for keeping people safe from harm and for preventing sexual misconduct.
Understanding Sports Related Institutional Sexual Abuse Cases
Institutional sexual abuse cases often make major headlines, most recently, the Larry Nassar case. That being said, not only did it take years for the allegations against Dr. Larry Nassar to be publicized in such a way that could no longer be ignored, it also took over 150 victims to share their traumas and experiences. Legal experts agree that many things were handled inappropriately in that situation but eventually, and most importantly, justice was served.
These cases are especially tricky because the victims are often minors or other vulnerable groups, and the perpetrators are typically people in positions of power or authority and intimidate and manipulate their victims into silence. Furthermore, to protect identities and self interests, most institutions handle crimes internally and fail to report sexual assault cases to the police or other authorities.
Victims also report fear of retaliation and loss of rank and prominence as reasons for why they don’t report sexual assault. In the case with Dr. Nassar and the female athletes of the USA Olympic Gymnastics team, the victims reported fear of not being able to compete or fear of being kicked off the team as reasons why they didn’t report sexual assault.
Why It’s Imperative For Victims to Speak Up
First and foremost, people who violate and cause this kind of lasting harm to others should be punished and held responsible, regardless of what they have to lose. Sexual abuse is inexcusable. Sadly, in some cases family members and victims fail to report sexual assault out of fear of tarnishing repuations or false accusations. Because of this, too few people report institutional sexual assault which results in more, unnecessary victims.
Pursuing A Sports Related Sexual Assault Case in Pennsylvania
The laws around sexual assault cases, especially involving minors, continue to change and adapt in response to the major institutional cases being won. Now more than ever, the laws are focused on protecting victims and understanding the amount of time it can take to step forward and pursue a case. If you were a minor that was sexually assaulted within an institution, you have until age 30 to pursue a case. It’s not too late to hold your perpetrators responsible and get the justice you deserve.
If you’re ready to share your story and get the legal help you need to file a lawsuit against those you harmed you, contact a trustworthy and experienced institutional sexual assault lawyer.