Dozens of people file lawsuits alleging abuse in Maryland's juvenile detention centers
BALTIMORE -- More than 50 people are suing the state of Maryland over sex abuse crimes they say took place decades ago.
The allegations follow in the wake of a new state law that lifted the statute of limitations on when a person can file these types of cases.
Martin Ramey with Rhine Law Firm told WJZ that many victims are ready to come forward decades after they were abused. In fact, at least 400 victims have reached out with similar stories about abuse that allegedly took place inside the walls of several juvenile justice centers, according to Ramey.
"I used to hear keys turn at night, but I never knew what it was until it happened personally to me," abuse survivor Claudia McLain said.
Her story is echoed by hundreds of others who say that they, too, experienced sexual, emotional and physical abuse in a Maryland juvenile detention center decades ago.
"These victims were not groomed by their predators," Ramey said. "Their predators simply walked in and chose them at random to do whatever act they wanted them to do. a lot of times that included sexual intercourse."
Ramey's firm is one of four law firms leading lawsuits against the state of Maryland, alleging that it failed to protect the children in its care. Walsh Law PLLC, Bailey Glasser, and DiCelo Levitt are the other three firms.
Ramey told WJZ that the complaints detail hundreds of incidents spanning between the 1960s to 2020. They occurred at several centers across the state, including the Charles H. Hickey, Jr.. School and the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center.
All of the survivors in the complaint were children at the time of the alleged incidents.
"The youngest we've heard of—unfortunately—was as young as 7," Ramey said.
All of the lawsuits were filed on the same day as when the Child Victims Act of 2023 went into effect: Oct. 1, according to Ramey.
In a statement to WJZ, the Department of Juvenile Services said it was in the process of reviewing the lawsuits.
"The DJS takes the allegations of sexual abuse of children in our care very seriously and we are working hard to provide decent, humane, and rehabilitative environments for youth committed to the Department," the statement said.