Middlesex County jury awards $25 million in 'horrific' foster child sexual abuse case

In a "horrific" case where a child was sexually abused in three foster homes, a Middlesex County jury has awarded a $25 million verdict against the state's Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCCP).

The jury returned the verdict on March 12 in the trial before Superior Court Judge Patrick Bradshaw that began on Feb. 20. Bradshaw approved a $12 million award in line with an agreement between the lawyers that set the maximum award to $12 million.

“This is the first Child Victims Act case brought to trial against the State of New Jersey," Matt Bonanno, of Rebenack Aronow & Mascolo, who represented the victim, said in a statement. "The jury unanimously ruled in our client’s favor and rejected DCPP’s pleas to place the blame on the perpetrators, and instead held the Department 99% liable for the $25 million verdict. We hope this sends a message to DCPP in similar foster care abuse cases and helps bring those cases to resolution without the need for weeks-long jury trials.”

The state Department of Children and Families has not responded to a request for comment.

The lawsuit, filed under the Child Victims Act which opened a two-year window suspending the statute of limitations for civil claims of child sexual abuse, outlines sexual abuse that the victim suffered after being placed in foster homes from ages 6-9.

The lawsuit, which called the sexual abuse "horrific," accuses the state of failing to investigate reports of abuse and neglect and, as a result, placed the victim in numerous foster homes where the abuse occurred.

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The victim was placed in her first foster care home at age 5 in or around 1987. She remained at the home for about two years and was sexually abused at age 6 by a babysitter's husband, according to the lawsuit.

When she was 5, the state placed her in a second foster home for about two months.

When she told her caseworker of sexual abuse in that home by her foster mother's adult son, was removed from that home and placed in a third home, according to the lawsuit.

In that home, the victim was "continually" sexually assaulted by her foster father and her foster mother's teenage son until age 9 when she was returned home.

And though the victim told her state caseworker of the "extremely disturbing and alarming" sexual abuse, the state "failed to adequately investigate" the allegations and failed to remove her from the home where she was "sexually abused countless times," the lawsuit charged.

The lawsuit said the state should have known the "foster parents had a history of abusing children and therefore were unfit to provide a safe and healthy home."

“The State of New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services failed to supervise and protect our client for years and years," Vincent Nappo of Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala, the victim's other attorney,” said in a statement. “They left our client exposed to unthinkable acts of sexual abuse and rape in three foster homes when she was just six to nine years old. The verdict sends a signal to institutions that failing to take accountability and do the right thing has consequences. We are grateful to Judge Bradshaw, court staff, and the jurors that devoted countless hours of their time to allow our client the opportunity to bring this important case to trial. We are also grateful to defense counsel and their professionalism in its handling of such an emotionally difficult and explosive case.”

Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com

Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ jury awards $25M in 'horrific' foster child sexual abuse case