Inappropriate Daycare Touching in San Antonio

Choosing a daycare in San Antonio Tx requires parents to place great trust in a facility to protect their child’s ongoing health, safety and wellbeing. And while the vast majority of daycare centers are deserving of this responsibility, some become the sites of tragic negligence, maltreatment, and abuse. In fact, the state of Texas reports that up to 67,000 children will fall victim to abuse each year.

Thankfully, provisions within Texas law afford children and their guardians many options when it comes to choosing how to hold perpetrators responsible for their actions. The Texas personal injury lawyers at Carabin Shaw have the experience necessary to guide families through the complex legal processes that often follow instances of daycare sexual abuse. With the assistance of our specialized attorneys, victims can expect to be fully informed of their legal rights, as well as guided to take all steps necessary to secure the justice and compensation they so rightfully deserve.

While most parents will know that inappropriate daycare touching is considered sexual abuse under Texas law, some may not be aware of other forms of sexual abuse that the state recognizes. In many instances, physical contact doesn’t actually have to occur in order for an incident to be recognized as abusive under law.

The following are all actions that the state of Texas classifies as child sexual abuse:

• Sexual touching or caressing of a child
• Initiating sexual intercourse with a child
• Forcing a child to watch sexual acts, such as masturbation
• Forcing a child to masturbate
• Exposing one’s genitals to a child
• Forcing a child to watch sexual content or imagery, such as videos or pictures
• Sending a child texts or phone messages of a sexual nature

If you have questions about whether what your child experienced would be legally characterized as sexual abuse, reach out to a San Antonio sexual abuse attorney.

Thankfully, revisions to Texas state law have afforded victims and their families a great deal of flexibility in how they choose to pursue legal action following an incident of daycare abuse. The state has expanded the statute of limitations for personal injury cases involving sexual abuse of minors so that victims will never lose their right to pursue legal action, no matter how long it’s been since the abuse occurred.

San Antonio Tx child sexual abuse lawyers explain that legal action can take place through either criminal court or civil court proceedings. Criminal trials are generally initiated by state prosecutors and can result in a defendant being sentenced to prison time or other penalties.

While families often recognize the value in pursuing criminal charges, these trials do not result in the provision of financial compensation to victims. Civil trials, however, do allow victims to sue entities such as daycare employers or the organizations that hired them for both economic and non-economic damages. Depending on the specifics of the case, victims may be eligible to recover costs associated with medical and mental health treatments, alternative childcare, and a child’s emotional pain and suffering.

Reaching out to a qualified lawyer is the first step you can take to hold perpetrators of abuse accountable, and support your child’s path to recovery. The Texas personal injury lawyers at Carabin Shaw are recognized for their exceptional professionalism and are ready to assist your family as you navigate the aftermath of daycare abuse.

If you are ready to begin your free initial consultation, call us 24/7 at 800-862-1260 to talk with our English and Spanish-speaking staff.