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Los Angeles County has agreed to a $4 billion settlement for 6,800 child sex abuse cases
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some dating back to the 1950s, according to officials. The cases stem from the county's
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juvenile detention facilities and foster care system. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
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still has to sign off on the agreement, which officials said Friday would be the largest of
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its kind in history. On behalf of the county, I apologize wholeheartedly to everyone who was
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harmed by these reprehensible acts. The county's chief executive said in a statement, the statement
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from the county says the cost of these settlements will have a significant impact on its budget for
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years to come. The plan to pay for the settlements includes using reserve funds, issuing bonds and
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cutting current spending. In 2020, a new California law went into effect, suspending the statute of
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limitations on child sex abuse cases for three years, allowing them to be brought forward. The
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new law allowed thousands to bring cases against the county's facilities. In a statement provided
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to local KABC7, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors said in part, we hope that this settlement
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once approved, can bring some measure of healing to those who experienced abuse and help them in
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rebuilding their lives. As a board, we are committed to holding county departments accountable for
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safeguarding the young people we serve, ensuring that reforms are enforced, and working with law
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enforcement to bring perpetrators to justice. The county's claims board will review the proposal
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on Monday. If approved, it would then head to the Board of Supervisors for consideration on April
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29th, according to reports. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Lauren Taylor. For more on this story
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download the Straight Arrow News app or visit san.com
