29 Female Inmates At Central California Women’s Facility In Chowchilla Accuse Former Correctional Officer Israel Trevino Jr of Sexual Abuse

CHOWCHILLA, CALIFORNIA (October 3, 2023) – Twenty-nine women have filed lawsuits alleging they were sexually abused and mistreated by Israel Trevino Jr at the Central California Women’s Facility.

The lawsuits come as hundreds of other women across the state also claim that they were sexually abused by prison guards. At least 250 such cases have been filed so far and more cases are expected to be filed shortly.

Israel Trevino Jr worked at the Central California Women’s Facility for over a decade and has been accused of sexual abuse by nearly 30 women. He continued in that position until he was fired in 2018.

He has never faced criminal charges for his actions. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said that many of the abuse accusations were not properly investigated.

Victims in the Israel Trevino Jr  case have alleged many different forms of abuse. Some inmates have claimed that they were groped by him. A full investigation into all of the claims remains ongoing at this time.

 

Liability For Madera County Inmate Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse inside of federal and state prisons is unfortunately very common. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Correctional administrators reported 27,826 allegations of sexual victimization in 2018, a 14% increase from the 24,514 reported in 2015. Of the 1,673 substantiated incidents of sexual victimization in 2018, about 58% were perpetrated by other inmates and 42% by staff.” Victimization varies greatly by many different factors including gender. Women tend to be at a much greater risk of being sexually abused while in custody. There are many steps that jails should take in order to prevent inmate sexual abuse.

• Correctional officers should be thoroughly vetted before they start working.
• All complaints of sexual misconduct should be thoroughly investigated.
• Jail staff should receive extensive training on preventing, detecting and responding to sexual abuse.
• Correctional officers should be properly supervised.

All inmates have a constitutional right to be protected from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. This includes instances of sexual assault by correctional officers and other jail staff. Depending on the facts of any case, a jail could be liable if an inmate is sexually abused by a guard. For example, a jail may have been grossly negligent in monitoring a correctional officer who went on to abuse inmates. Sexual abuse can be extremely destructive and harm people in a number of ways.

• Victims of sexual abuse are at heightened risk for chronic health conditions.
• Victims of sexual abuse often suffer from post traumatic stress disorder.
• Victims of sexual abuse are more prone to experienced suicidal ideations.

By the time any member of law enforcement is charged with sexual abuse in a criminal or civil case, there may have been dozens of red flags that were missed. Far too often, people turn a blind eye to sexual abuse. This might be for many different reasons including outright indifference. Victims of sexual abuse may be able to seek some measure of justice through a civil claim. A sexual abuse attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.

 

Investigating Sexual Abuse At The  Central California Women’s Facility In Chowchilla

We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our best wishes to all of the women who have been harmed by the actions of Israel Trevino Jr. It is deeply unfortunate that all of these accusations never prompted a criminal investigation. Steps need to be taken to make sure that similar incidents do not take place again.

Have you or someone that you care about been sexually abused at the California Women’s Facility In Chowchilla? There are a number of laws designed to protect your rights. Our team of sexual abuse attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that victims of sexual abuse get the justice that they deserve and that jails are held to account for their negligence. Whether you just have legal questions or are thinking about hiring an attorney we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (949) 825-5200.