Los Angeles County to pay $4 billion to settle thousands of child sex abuse allegations

The county of Los Angeles tentatively reached a $4 billion settlement to resolve nearly 7,000 allegations of child sexual abuse that allegedly occurred in juvenile facilities or even within the foster care system, dating back to 1959. As reported by different media outlets, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, as well as the Board of Reclamation, will be the bodies in charge of approving the agreement in the coming days.

"On behalf of the County, I apologize wholeheartedly to everyone who was harmed by these reprehensible acts. The historic scope of this settlement makes clear that we are committed to helping the survivors recover and rebuild their lives-and to making and enforcing the systemic changes needed to keep young people safe," County Executive Director Fesia Davenport said in a statement.

Three decades of complaints

The majority of allegations made against the county for child sexual abuse date from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. According to a press release issued by the county, a good portion of those complaints alleged that the incidents allegedly took place at the MacLaren Children's Center facility - which was permanently closed in 2003 - and at the Probation Department. Several media outlets revealed that investigations into these cases remain active, adding that two cases in specific have been officially referred to the district attorney's office for possible prosecution.

The county's statement highlights that the settlement will representthe largest financial outlay in its entire history, adding that this will have a "significant impact on the county's budget for years to come." Likewise, the county highlighted in its Friday release that its plan to be able to pay for the agreement will include the issuance of bonds for judicial obligations, proposed cuts in the different budgets of its departments, and the use of its own reserve funds.

The agreement between the parties is scheduled to be formally filed with the county's Board of Claims on Monday, April 7. If approved, it will be considered by the Board of Supervisors next April 29.