Los Angeles County agrees to $4 billion settlement in child sex abuse cases

• Los Angeles County has agreed to a $4 billion settlement for 6,800 child sex abuse cases linked to its juvenile detention and foster care systems, some dating back to the 1950s. The settlement, the largest of its kind, still requires approval from the Board of Supervisors.
• County officials said it would significantly impact the budget, with plans to use reserve funds, issue bonds, and reduce spending.
• A 2020 California law allowing expired abuse cases to be filed helped bring the claims forward. The Board of Supervisors will review the proposal on April 29.

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Los Angeles County has agreed to a $4 billion settlement for 6,800 child sex abuse cases, some dating back to the 1950s, according to officials. The cases stem from the county’s juvenile detention facilities and foster care system.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors still needs to approve the agreement, which officials said Friday would be the largest of its kind in history.

“On behalf of the county, I apologize wholeheartedly to everyone who was harmed by these reprehensible acts,” Fesia Davenport, the county’s chief executive, said in a statement.

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The county said the cost of these settlements would have a “significant impact” on its budget for years to come. The plan to pay for the settlements includes using reserve funds, issuing bonds, and cutting current spending.

In 2020, a new California law went into effect, suspending the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases for three years—allowing them to be brought forward.

The new law allowed thousands of people to bring cases against the county’s facilities.

In a statement provided to local KABC-7, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors said, in part: “We hope that this settlement, once approved, can bring some measure of healing to those who experienced abuse and help them in rebuilding their lives. As a board, we are committed to holding county departments accountable for safeguarding the young people we serve, ensuring that reforms are enforced, and working with law enforcement to bring perpetrators to justice.”

The county’s claims board will review the proposal on Monday. If approved, it will then head to the Board of Supervisors for consideration on April 29, according to reports.