Bringing a claim in Aurora
If you were sexually abused in Aurora, whether recently or decades ago, you can bring a civil claim against the institution that failed to protect you.
Aurora spans four counties: Kane, DuPage, Will and Kendall. Most civil claims are filed in the circuit court of the county where the abuse happened; claims against the State go to the Illinois Court of Claims.
The institutions that come up here
Aurora sits across two dioceses. The Kane County side falls under the Diocese of Rockford, where the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 report named 24 clerics with substantiated child sexual abuse claims. The DuPage, Will and Kendall County sides fall under the Diocese of Joliet, where the report named 69.
Schools and public bodies here
Aurora is served by six separate school districts, East Aurora 131 (about 12,000 students across 22 sites, the 13th largest district in Illinois), West Aurora 129, Indian Prairie 204 and three others. Which district a school sits in decides who the defendant is.
Where the responsible body is a school district, a county, or the state, the Illinois Tort
Immunity Act comes into the analysis, along with notice requirements that do not apply to a
private organisation. It is the first thing to check and it is easy to get wrong.
Support in Aurora, whether or not you ever call a lawyer
Mutual Ground, Aurora: 24-hour sexual violence hotline 630-897-8383.
You do not have to speak to a lawyer to get help. RAINN is also on
1-800-656-4673, free and confidential, 24 hours.
Questions people in Aurora ask
Does it matter that it happened a long time ago?
It matters, but not the way most people assume. What governs it is your age at the time, who was responsible, and the particular facts. People regularly assume they are out of time and turn out not to be.
The person who did it has died.
A claim can still proceed. These cases are usually brought against the institution that placed that person in a position of trust, not against the individual.
Do I have to decide anything now?
No. You can ask what is possible and stop there. Nothing is set in motion by a question.
Nothing is set in motion by asking. You can call, ask what is possible, and decide afterwards.