Echo Glen Children's Center Sex Abuse
The Echo Glen Children’s Center in Snoqualmie, Washington, is a detention facility for juvenile offenders. The facility is one of only two maximum security juvenile detention centers in Washington and the state’s only maximum security complex for female youths. Inmates should feel safe in this facility while rehabilitating so that they can turn their lives around. However, many Echo Glen inmates have reported sexual abuse at the hands of fellow inmates and the guards who are supposed to keep them safe.
Vanessa Firnhaber Oslund, Partner, Bergman Oslund Udo Little Last Updated: November 21, 2024
At Bergman Oslund Udo Little, we are committed to helping survivors seek justice. If you or a loved one has suffered sexual abuse at Echo Glen Children’s Center, please get in touch with our compassionate, experienced lawyers for help filing an Echo Glen sexual abuse lawsuit. You’re not alone.
- Echo Glen Children’s Center has a dark history of sexual abuse incidents involving both inmates and staff members.
- Notable cases include a 2014 incident where an older male inmate molested a 13-year-old female and a 2009 case where a guard raped a female inmate.
- Sexual abuse survivors at Echo Glen may be eligible to recover compensation for their economic and non-economic damages.
- Washington state recently passed House Bill 1618, eliminating the statute of limitations for sexual abuse cases occurring on or after June 6, 2024.
- Our compassionate lawyers at Bergman Oslund Udo Little offer free consultations and contingency-based representation for survivors seeking justice through an Echo Glen sexual abuse lawsuit. You don’t pay unless we win your case.
Sexual Abuse at Echo Glen Children's Center
Washington’s juvenile detention centers house the highest-risk young people convicted of more serious crimes. The goal is to address the effects of violence, neglect, trauma, addiction, and other challenges that led them to criminal behavior. The facilities are supposed to deliver treatment, provide resources, and develop skills so young people can get their lives back on track and reenter their communities.
However, the places meant to rehabilitate troubled youth often cause further harm. In far too many cases, incarcerated youths suffer from sexual and physical assaults by fellow inmates and the adults with authority over them. Many of these incidents occur because of structural issues and inadequate supervision. Echo Glen is one of those facilities with a history of abuse and several criminal investigations.
In 2014, a 17-year-old male inmate admitted to molesting a 13-year-old female inmate. At Echo Glen, boys and girls are housed separately but attend classes and other activities together. During a class, the boy assaulted the girl by groping her without consent. Security measures were not enough to prevent this traumatizing interaction. The court charged the male inmate in adult courts as a registered sex offender and sentenced him to five years in prison.
In 2009, an adult male guard raped a female inmate in her cell. The guard groomed the girl for some time before raping her. Before the incident, the girl had been doing well at Echo Glen—she had earned her GED and built good relationships with the staff. The Department of Social and Health Services settled the case in 2011, paying the girl $375,000 in damages.
What Damages Are Recoverable in a Washington Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?
If you’ve suffered from sexual abuse, no amount of money can undo the harm you’ve endured. However, the legal system allows you to pursue compensation for your economic and non-economic damages. This includes the losses you have already sustained and any future impacts you may still experience.
Economic damages cover the tangible, quantifiable costs stemming from the abuse. Economic damages cover the following:
- Medical bills
- Therapy costs
- Ongoing care
- Loss of income
- Lost earning capacity
- Lost career and educational opportunities
Non-economic damages compensate for the harder-to-quantify impacts on your life, such as emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and pain and suffering.
Each case is unique, and consulting with a sexual assault lawyer can help survivors understand their rights and the damages they may be eligible to recover and determine the best path toward compensation.
Washington's New Statute of Limitations for Juvenile Sex Abuse Lawsuits
Washington lawmakers recently passed a new juvenile sex abuse law that makes the path to compensation a little bit less burdensome for survivors.
House Bill 1618 abolishes the statute of limitations for incidents of childhood sexual abuse that occur on or after June 6, 2024. This new law gives survivors unlimited time to pursue justice through a civil lawsuit.
Under this new law, there is no time limit for bringing a lawsuit for any harms suffered because of childhood sexual abuse if the abuse occurred on or after June 6, 2024.
Vanessa Firnhaber Oslund – Partner, Bergman Oslund Udo Little, PLLC
Often, survivors take years to process the harm caused by sexual abuse. House Bill 1618 seeks to address this important issue with this new provision. This new law gives survivors more time to pursue justice.
However, the new law is not retroactive, meaning the previous statute of limitations applies to sexual abuse incidents that occurred before that date. If the childhood sexual abuse occurred before June 6, 2024, the previous statute of limitations applies. In those cases, survivors must file a civil action within three years from the following, whichever is later:
- The date the abuse occurred
- The date the survivor discovered or reasonably should have discovered the injury
- The date the survivor found that the abuse caused an injury
However, the clock does not begin to run until the victim becomes an adult at age 18. Thus, minor victims generally have until their 21st birthday to file suit.
Importantly, survivors do not need to pinpoint the exact act in a series of continuing sexual abuse that caused their injury. Instead, the date of the last act in an ongoing abuse pattern is the relevant date for determining the deadline.
Regardless of the deadline, survivors should consult our compassionate sexual abuse attorneys as soon as possible to protect their rights. As time passes, evidence becomes harder to obtain, and memories fade. The sooner you act, the better your chances of obtaining the justice and compensation you deserve.
Free Consultations for Survivors of Abuse at Echo Glen
If you were sexually abused at Echo Glen detention center, you don’t have to be silent. Contact the experienced and compassionate sexual assault lawyers at Bergman Oslund Udo Little for a free, no-obligation consultation. We are here for you. We will listen to your entire story and do our best to help you move forward by seeking the justice you deserve. Our work is done on a contingency fee basis, meaning you do not owe us a cent unless we can resolve your case.
You can learn more with our free resources for survivors and allies and get answers to your sex abuse lawsuit FAQs.
Empower your voice and explore your legal options today. Contact our dedicated team by filling out our online form or calling us at 206-460-1373.
520 Pike St. #1125
Seattle, WA 98101
206-957-9510
1355 NW Everett St.
Suite 100
Portland, OR 97204
503-447-6230
