On July 30, 2025, Baldante & Rubenstein attorneys gathered outside of the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick, NJ, for the New Jersey Survivors’ Press Conference and Rally. At the event, attorneys Stacy Hughes and Jamie Hutchinson, and attorneys from Levy Konigsberg joined together, along with clients and advocacy groups including the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NJCASA) and the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice (NJISJ), gathered to advocate for justice regarding the 352 currently filed cases involving sexual abuse by staff at New Jersey Juvenile Facilities that occurred between 1982 and 2024.
“I stand before you today representing survivors of childhood sexual abuse that occurred within juvenile detention facilities,” Ms. Hughes said during the rally. “Institutions that were meant to provide rehabilitation and safety, but instead became breeding grounds for abuse, and places where youth suffered unimaginable harm. These brave survivors have come forward despite tremendous personal cost, breaking years of silence to seek justice and accountability. Their courage in speaking truth to power deserves our respect, our attention, and our unwavering commitment to action.”
For more information about the conference and rally, please read the NJ.com article “352 former juvenile detainees claim they were sexually abused in N.J. facilities,” the New Jersey Monitor article “Victims of sex abuse in New Jersey’s juvenile lockups demand justice,” the NJToday.net article “Victims of sex abuse in New Jersey’s juvenile lockups demand justice,” and the Gothamist article “‘I was supposed to be safe’: Alleged victims of abuse in NJ juvenile detention speak out.”
To watch a video of the event, which includes Ms. Hughes’ speech, please click on the following link.