TRENTON, N.J. — The number of legal claims related to allegations of sexual assault and other forms of abuse at New Jersey’s state-run child treatment centers has now surpassed 100 after two additional lawsuits were filed this week.
The most recent lawsuits were presented in Superior Court in the Monmouth and Somerset counties on Thursday. These suits involve 16 individuals whose identities remain confidential, seeking compensation related to the alleged mistreatment at the now-defunct Arthur Brisbane Treatment Center and the Training School at Skillman, both of which were closed several years ago.
These cases add to a growing list of claims filed against the state over the past year. According to attorneys from the firm Levy Konigsberg, the number of lawsuits has reached 150, most of which involve currently operating facilities like the New Jersey Training School. Despite this, the governor has indicated plans for its closure.
Attempts to seek comments from the New Jersey attorney general’s office, responsible for the state’s defense in such legal matters, were not met with a response.
In 2019, New Jersey made significant changes to its civil statute of limitations concerning childhood sexual abuse claims. This adjustment enables victims to file lawsuits until they reach the age of 55 or within seven years of recognizing that such abuse caused them harm. Previously, the statute of limitations restricted claims to the age of 20 or two years after discovering the harm caused by the abuse.