09/09/2026
For the first time, two survivors are speaking publicly about the sexual abuse they say they endured as children inside the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.
Both women told CBS News Chicago they were just 15-years-old and pregnant when they were sexually assaulted by staff members while in custody.
Their stories are part of a much larger reckoning. Hundreds of former residents — both girls and boys — have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse by detention center staff spanning decades, with approximately 400 lawsuits now filed against the detention center, Cook County, and the Cook County Chief Judge’s Office.
GGH is leading the litigation on behalf of survivors and continues to investigate how alleged abuse was allowed to persist inside a facility responsible for protecting children in its custody.
Watch the full CBS News Chicago investigation at the link in our bio under “Press Highlights.”