Daytona Beach Sexual Assault Lawyer
If you’re a victim of a sexual abuse or assault, the task of getting your life back on track, whether professionally, personally, or otherwise, can understandably be overwhelming. An experienced Daytona Beach sexual assault attorney can get to work ensuring that your abuser is held financially responsible for the physical, psychological and emotional pain inflicted.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 100 percent of reported rapes, 39 percent of attempted rapes and 17 percent of sexual assaults against females from 1992 through 2000 resulted in injured victims. Sexual assault is generally defined as unlawful sexual activity carried out forcibly or under threat of injury and against the victim’s will.
Sexual abuse can be devastating and can have a lifelong effect on the victim and the victim’s family. In many cases, the victim is a child or a vulnerable adult and the perpetrator is someone in a position of trust or power over the victim. In that situation, the victim has the right to hold the individuals and the organization involved accountable for the abuse. Cases of sexual abuse or assault are very sensitive in nature, and an experienced Daytona Beach sexual assault lawyer can help victims and their families protect their legal interests.
Types of Sexual Assault and Abuse
If you or a loved one have been the victim of any of the following types of sexual abuse in Florida, make sure you speak to an attorney who will fight for your best interests:
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Rape – forced sexual intercourse, including vaginal, anal, or oral penetration. Penetration may be by a body part or an object. Rape victims may be forced through threats or physical means. Anyone may be a victim of rape: women, men or children, straight or gay.
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Child Sexual Abuse – sexual contact by force, trickery, or bribery where there is an imbalance in age, size, power, or knowledge.
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Drug facilitated assault – when drugs or alcohol are used to compromise an individual’s ability to consent to sexual activity. In addition, drugs and alcohol are often used in order to minimize the resistance and memory of the victim of a sexual assault. Alcohol remains the most commonly used chemical in crimes of sexual assault.
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Sexual harassment – unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature in which submission to or rejection of such conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s work or school performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or school environment.
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Quid Pro Quo – when a perpetrator makes conditions of employment contingent on the victim providing sexual favors.
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Stalking – the impact of stalking can be profound and life altering. Individuals who are stalked often change many of their behavior patterns and have strong emotional responses to the stalking.
Consent is a pivotal issue in sexual abuse cases. The defense will almost always assert that the contact was consensual or that the victim is mistaken or delusional. However, children as well as people with diminished capacity cannot give consent no matter what is implied. This includes people under the influence of drugs or alcohol as well as those who cannot understand the nature of the act.
It is important to speak to an attorney about your sexual assault experiences as soon as possible, as there is a statute of limitations dictating how long after an alleged assault that a civil suit can be brought forward. If you or your loved one has been sexually abused, contact the attorneys at Bundza & Rodriguez, P.A. for a free legal consultation and to speak with one of our experienced Daytona Beach sexual assault lawyers. Call us today at 866-785-5470.