The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with currently 2.2 million youth members between 5 to 21 and approximately 800,000 adult volunteers. Since its inception, more than 130 million young people have participated in the said program, and more than 35 million adults have volunteered in the organization.

BSA offers informal educational opportunities for young people with a focus on practical outdoor skills, as well as leadership and interpersonal skills. The program has a number of age categories where children can advance in the organization, starting from Cub scouting and moving up to Scout BSA.

Unfortunately, in spite of its long history, this adored American institution has been blamed by hundreds of former Scouts for failing to protect them while they were a part of the organization. There are numerous lawsuits that have been filed by hundreds of former Scouts. Some of the abuses include molestation, fondling, and even rape.

If you were abused through the Boy Scouts of America organization, you may be able to file a class-action lawsuit and pursue compensation. Although filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by this abuse, it can at least help relieve the financial stress the victims have incurred.

A lot of people being accused in this litigation are not only leaders in the organization, like troop leaders and their assistants, but also men of stature in their communities. Police officers, members of the military, teachers, doctors, a child psychologist, and a mayor have been some of the other key community leaders accused of sexual abuse. Because of these types of people, a lot of scouts are still afraid of voicing out their stories. They fear that these people might get back at them while some are scared of being judged.

Under the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act of 1992, it is a criminal offense to publish the name or any information leading to the identification of any victim alleging a sexual offense has been committed against them. And Under the Sexual Offences Act of 2003, victims of sex offenses are given lifelong anonymity. This is to protect the victim from the experiencing further trauma and embarrassment.

In a compensation claim arising from sexual abuse, there is protection under the Sexual Offences Act. A belt and braces approach by way of asking a judge for an ‘anonymity order’ can be done. This means that a claimant becomes known by three random letters of the alphabet rather than their name being included in any of the court documents.

An anonymity order gives the person the right to remain anonymous in any court report or publication related to a legal case. The order also prevents them from being named on social media or in any documentation released by the press whether online or in print. Needless to say, no information that could trace back to the individual can be released. This involves addresses, photographs of the individuals, and their place of work/education. Also in some cases, the relationship between the claimant and the defendant (whose identity is public knowledge) cannot be revealed as it could possibly identify the claimant.

An anonymity order is usually granted when the court feels that publication of the names of the parties, other identifiable information, or the terms of the settlement, would put the parties at some risk or harm. The order would cover anyone who has made an allegation of a sexual offense regardless of whether the complaint resulted in a conviction.

Here at Jones Law Firm, your privacy is our utmost concern. You can count on us to make this difficult process as smooth as possible with your trust. While it is not easy, Jones Law Firm understands the immensely challenging course of action required. But, we are here to guide you every step of the way.