Georgia Foster Care Sexual Abuse Lawyer

Foster Care Sexual Abuse Attorney in Georgia

Although the Georgia foster care system is meant to be a place where children can feel safe, be protected, and seek refuge, it is often the opposite. In fact, Georgia’s foster care system has continued to serve as a place of hidden trauma, where horrors such as sexual abuse take place. If you’ve been subject to sexual abuse in a foster care system or suspect something, a Georgia foster care sexual abuse lawyer can represent you and seek justice for your suffering.

Children who were placed in foster homes and other institutions in Georgia are far too often subject to sexual abuse. Such horrifying treatment could, and should, have been preventable. At Ryan A. Johnson, P.C., our dedicated legal team has over two decades of experience in exposing this abuse. We can hold the liable individuals, institutions, and the entire system accountable, forcing them to face the full scope of the state’s foster care sexual abuse penalties.

About Ryan A. Johnson, P.C.

Ryan A. Johnson, P.C., is an Atlanta-based law firm. We have earned a trusted reputation over more than a decade of tenacious, personalized legal representation. Our firm can seek justice for people who have fallen victim to the system and experienced harm, including foster care children who have been sexually abused. We are proudly serving clients across the Peach State.

Mr. Johnson has earned many significant awards; he was named among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers and included in Super Lawyers® Rising Stars. Our firm has secured over $60 million in settlements for many claims, including foster care sexual abuse cases. We understand just how sensitive these cases are. Therefore, we offer a personalized and trauma-informed approach. Our team can confidently discuss your case with you and determine the optimal legal routes available. In all cases, we always pursue justice and seek to hold all complicit parties accountable.

Understanding the Crisis: Sexual Abuse in Georgia Foster Care

One of the most egregious forms of betrayal that a child can experience is sexual abuse in the foster care system. Offenders can be relatives, foster parents, staff at group homes, caseworkers, or other children who are in placement. Generally, these acts take place because of institutional failures, such as failures to immediately address warning signs, adequately monitor behavior, or fully screen placements.

According to the most recent Georgia Fostering Court Improvement statistics, there were 10,971 children in foster care on March 31, 2025. Of those, 5,783 were children from Non-Caregiver Involved Investigation (Non-CII), and 5,188 were children from Caregiver Involved Investigation (CII). As there was a higher number of non-CII children, this indicates that many children may be assigned to places with limited oversight.

Unfortunately, sexual abuse in foster care notoriously goes underreported, with many children being too traumatized or afraid to speak out or talk about what happened to them. These figures indicate a much deeper problem, which is a system that puts children in risky situations all too often and shields those who carry out such abuse.

What Constitutes Sexual Abuse in Foster Care?

In foster care, sexual abuse can take on many different forms. Our dedicated legal team has protected individuals who have been subject to various forms of sexual abuse, including:

• Attempted rape or rape
• Fondling
• Inappropriate touching
• Exposure to pornography
• Coercion into sexual acts
• Sexual harassment
• Exploitation
• Repeated grooming behaviors

Even one incident alone can lead to lifelong trust issues, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychological trauma, and patterns of self-harm. Perpetrators of such horrid acts could be individuals, but it’s also important to note that responsibility also lies with the institutions and agencies that allowed this abuse to happen in the first place.

Hire a Georgia Foster Care Sexual Abuse Lawyer Who Does Not Back Down

These cases come with legal complexity and emotional weight, and they require the will and resources to go up against powerful institutions. Therefore, it’s important to work with an experienced and driven Georgia foster care sexual abuse lawyer. We can:

• Launch a deep and discreet investigation into abuse allegations.
• File civil claims against responsible parties and agencies.
• Collaborate with our intricate network of child welfare and mental health professionals.

We cannot rewrite the wrongs that have been done to you or a child you know, but we can at least recover financial compensation for these acts. Furthermore, by using the Georgia foster care sexual abuse laws, a legal claim can punish the offender as well as all the individuals and institutions that allowed this to happen.

If you suspect that a child in Georgia’s foster care system has been sexually abused, it is important to act as soon as possible. We can immediately take action to pursue justice and protect the child.

As we operate on a contingency fee basis, you will not be required to pay us anything unless we win. Our firm can make sure you obtain compensation for the full scope of the harm endured, including psychological, emotional, and physical.

What Legal Rights Do Foster Children Have in Georgia?

Foster children who are in the Georgia foster care system have various legal protections to ensure their safety from undue harm. This means they have the right to be free from:

• Emotional manipulation
• Coercion
• Sexual or physical abuse
• Unsafe or unsanitary living conditions
• Neglectful situations

If anyone fails to meet this duty, whether that be a foster caregiver, private contractor, or child placement  agency, they could be held liable for their actions under Georgia tort law. These civil claims could result in various forms of compensation, including:

• Pain and suffering
• Loss of quality of life
• Mental health treatment
• Medical treatment
• Punitive damages against abusive or reckless institutions

Who Can Report or Pursue a Case?

To take action, you do not need to be the legal guardian or biological parent of the child victim. Our firm works regularly with:

• Mandated reporters
• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs)
• Teachers
• School counselors
• Social workers
• Therapists
• Extended family or friends

Please contact us immediately if you suspect that a foster child is being subjected to sexual abuse. We can:

• Handle the information with complete confidentiality.
• Rapidly and thoroughly assess the situation.
• Determine the most optimal measures to address it.

Contact a Georgia Foster Care Sexual Abuse Lawyer Today

When sexual abuse happens to a child in foster care, it harms and devastates not only individuals but also entire communities. When the very structures that are meant to protect children instead become enablers for predators, reporting the situation becomes a moral obligation. Contact Ryan A. Johnson, P.C., to defend the safety of children in the Georgia foster care system. Together, we can show authorities that our society does not tolerate cover-ups, silence, or abuse.