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R.B., and O.M.
COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES
v. BENTON COUNTY, a municipal entity, and FRANKLIN COUNTY, an municipal entity; Defendant.
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NO.
Plaintiffs,
Plaintiffs allege: I.
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INTRODUCTION
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For decades, Washington State law has recognized a fundamental duty: when the
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government takes a child from the community and places that child behind a locked door, it
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assumes responsibility for that child's safety. To meet this duty, it should go without saying that
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every youth detainee must be free of sexual abuse. The child cannot leave and cannot seek
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protection from anyone other than the institution that holds them captive. This is precisely why
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Washington has always required that counties staff their detention facilities with persons of good
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character. It is why the Juvenile Justice Act of 1977 required annual inspections, formal
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operational standards, and accountability.
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t received by the WA Benton County Superior Court.
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SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR BENTON COUNTY
STRITMATTER LAW FIRM 3600 15th Ave W, Ste. 300 Seattle, WA 98119 Tel: 206.448.1777