Clement, Van Ronzelen & Schulte Settles Case for Woman Sexually Assaulted at Residential Treatment Facility
CVRS attorney Tim Van Ronzelen successfully represented a woman who was sexually assaulted at a residential treatment facility, providing funds for treatment and allowing her to better move forward with her life.
Residential Treatment Facilities are making news in Missouri, largely due to the Circle of Hope Girls’ Camp.
Multiple media reports indicate that Circle of Hope Girls’ Camp (like many others) targeted young girls with various alleged behavioral issues, under a guise of providing behavior and mental health treatment. There have been multiple reports of girls at the Camp alleging various types of abuse and mistreatment. It has been reported that the married couple who operated this purported religious girls’ treatment facility in rural Missouri allegedly deprived those in their care of food, physically abused them, and sexually assaulted a resident. At least two lawsuits have been filed by young woman who were “treated” at the facility related to their alleged mistreatment. The couple who operated the camp are now facing 101 separate felony charges.
Additional information is available here: https://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/joplin-news-first/circle-of-hope-girls-ranch-abuse-allegations-householders-face-101-criminal-charges/; https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/girls-alleged-abuse-reform-school-years-it-stayed-open-until-n124101.
The business of “residential treatment facilities” has been booming recently – and many of those facilities charge thousands of dollars for “treatment.” Those facilities operate largely outside of any government oversight as they claim to be religiously affiliated or run as a private school. As a result, these facilities operate with basically no one looking out for the young people dependent on the operators for food, water, and shelter – and trapped within their walls. CVRS has uncovered, through investigation for clients, that staffing at types of facilities is often very inadequate, which leads to dangerous interactions between vulnerable young people (often females) and predatory adults.
Thankfully, the Circle of Hope Girls’ Camp is now closed. However, many other such camps or facilities operate in the shadows, especially in rural Missouri. If you or a loved one has questions about their experience at such a camp or facility, CVRS is willing to listen to your concerns and has the experience to help. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
