Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility Sexual Abuse Claims

Youth detention centers are meant to rehabilitate, not traumatize. Sadly, disturbing reports reveal that some of San Diego County’s most vulnerable minors may have endured sexual abuse, assault, and exploitation while confined at the Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility, which is now closed.

Staff, guards, and others in positions of authority have allegedly violated their duty of care in San Diego County juvenile detention centers and residential treatment centers, leaving survivors with lifelong psychological and emotional scars. If you or a loved one suffered abuse in this facility or another in the county, you have the right to demand justice, and our firm is here to help.

Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility Abuse Allegations

Sexual abuse in juvenile detention is a horrific betrayal of trust. Many survivors of this kind of abuse report being groomed, coerced, or forcibly assaulted by those tasked with their safety. Cases often involve staff misconduct – including inappropriate touching, harassment, or rape – as well as retaliation or intimidation to silence victims. In addition, far too many facilities were negligent in their hiring or supervision of abusive employees.

Specifically, the Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility, also referred to as “KMJDF” or “Kearny Mesa,” was a maximum security juvenile detention center in San Diego County. It has since been reopened as the Youth Transition Campus.

Although reforms have been made to better serve those currently in the care of YTC and other San Diego’s juvenile detention facilities, juvenile inmates may have been sexually abused at Kearny Mesa over the years when minors were housed at the long-term facility.

These facilities have a legal obligation to protect minors in their custody. When they fail, they must be held accountable. The team at Phillips Law Group may be able to help.

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Working with Phillips Law Group

Juvenile detention center abuse civil lawsuits do more than secure compensation; they expose systemic failures, demand institutional reform, and empower survivors to reclaim their lives.

While no amount of money can undo the trauma, financial recovery can provide therapy and medical care for PTSD, depression, and other lasting effects, as well as validation that the abuse was not the fault of survivors. Bringing a claim against a facility in the juvenile detention system in California may also provide leverage to force policy changes that protect future detainees.

Survivors of juvenile detention abuse deserve fierce advocates who understand the profound courage it takes to come forward. Our firm has a proven record of standing up against powerful institutions, and we approach every case with compassion and a focus on listening without judgment and with the goal of prioritizing your well-being.

The dedicated personal injury attorneys at our firm will relentlessly pursue the truth in these claims, even when powerful systems try to bury it. If we pursue a Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility claim for you or your loved one, we will fight to ensure those responsible – including the facility itself – are held liable.

If you or someone you love was abused at Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility, contact us now for a free, confidential consultation. Together, we can demand accountability and help you begin healing.

Call 602-222-2222 or fill out the form on this page today to get in touch.