Washington, DC Lawyers Who Handle Sexual Abuse in Relationships Claims
Holding spouses, partners, and dates accountable when they violate you
While sexual abuse by a stranger gets more headlines, anyone in a relationship has the right to say no to sexual conduct. There are lines and boundaries that a date, a partner, or a spouse cannot cross. Victims of sexual relationship abuse have the right to hold the people who cross these lines accountable.
The Washington, DC, sexual abuse attorneys at Nace Law Group Accident & Injury Lawyers understand the boundaries between romance and sexual abuse. We help sexual abuse survivors receive the counseling and support they need. Our team files sexual assault and abuse claims on behalf of anyone in a relationship. We seek to restore your dignity while holding those responsible for breaching your security accountable for the emotional, physical, and financial damages abusers cause.
Call us now to speak with our sexual abuse attorneys.
How can we help?
- What types of relationships can involve sexual abuse?
- What types of sexual abuse can occur in relationships?
- What steps can the victims of relationship sexual abuse take after the abuse occurs?
- What compensation can the victims of sexual abuse in relationships obtain?
- FAQs
- Do you have a Washington, DC sexual abuse in a relationship lawyer near me?
What types of relationships can involve sexual abuse?
There are limits to how anyone you’re in a relationship with can treat you. These limits apply to the people you date, the people you’re in longer-term relationships with, the people you live with, and even the people you marry. Sexual relationships require consent. Your consent is not implied. You must give your consent freely. You can withdraw your consent at any time. Your partner cannot use physical force or coercion to force you to participate in sexual activity.
You have the right to be treated with dignity and to have your claims taken seriously by legal and support systems.
What types of sexual abuse can occur in relationships?
Examples of sexual abuse in a relationship include:
- Any type of unwanted penetration
- Date rape
- Sexual assault
- Coercion to engage in pornography
- Taking nude photos without your consent
- Removing a condom or pregnancy protection without informing you
- Continuing sexual activity after you say to stop
- Physically or emotionally abusing you if you’re ill or not interested in sexual activity
- Inappropriate touching while you’re asleep
- Forcing you to dress in a sexually explicit way
- Making you conform to harmful gender stereotypes
In some cases, knowingly exposing a partner to a sexually transmitted infection without disclosure may give rise to civil liability or other legal consequences, depending on the circumstances.
You can file a sexual abuse claim regardless of your gender and sexual orientation. Sexual abuse may include physical or emotional retaliation if a partner says no.
Generally, consent is not valid if a person is incapacitated due to drugs or alcohol and unable to understand or refuse the sexual conduct. In some cases, administering substances to impair someone’s ability to consent may also be a criminal offense.
Pressuring you or forcing you to participate in sexual activity or watch sexual activity with additional people is also sexual abuse.
What steps can the victims of relationship sexual abuse take after the abuse occurs?
You have the right to file a civil sexual abuse claim if someone you’re in a relationship with sexually abuses you. Our Washington, DC, sexual abuse lawyers have the experience and working relationships with investigators and medical professionals to help you obtain justice.
Don’t assume that just because you’re in a relationship, you don’t have a case. We’ll review what happened. Often, sexual abuse victims can file a formal civil claim and seek damages for their physical and emotional trauma.
Other remedies include obtaining protective orders (court orders) that prohibit the abuser from contacting you.
You can also contact the local police, who can determine if there is a sufficient basis for filing criminal charges.
Additionally, there are many resources available to help sexual abuse victims in Washington, DC. We discuss these resources below.
What compensation can the victims of sexual abuse in relationships obtain?
Sexual abuse during a relationship is a violation of your dignity, your trust, and your confidence. When a spouse, a partner, or someone you date crosses the line from romance to sexual abuse, our lawyers work to hold the person who sexually abuses you accountable for all your harm and trauma.
We seek compensation for all your financial and personal damages, including the following:
- Medical bills for an unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, bruises, cuts, and other physical damage.
- Medical bills for the emotional and mental health injuries you have, including counseling with psychiatrists, psychologists, and other counselors and therapists.
- Lost income and benefits because you cannot work
- Your daily pain and suffering for as long as your trauma lasts, including a lifetime of trauma
- The inability to enjoy new relationships
- The loss of life’s pleasures
In cases involving intimate partners or spouses, compensation may also reflect the ongoing emotional harm, including the psychological impact of coercion, control, and abuse within a personal relationship. We also seek punitive damages for malicious and intentional misconduct by someone you were in a relationship with.
FAQs
What is the timeline for filing a claim due to sexual abuse in a relationship in Washington, DC?
Don’t wait. Please contact us as soon as you can to protect your rights or the rights of a child under 18 and to help ensure that you/your child is receiving the medical care they need.
Each case is different. Generally, in Washington, DC, according to the Council for the District of Columbia, the statute of limitations for civil claims against a person who commits sexual abuse during a relationship is as follows:
- If the victim was less than 35 years of age
- When the sexual abuse occurred, the sexual abuse claim must be filed when the victim turns 40+ years old, or within 5 years from when the victim knew, or reasonably should have known, of any act constituting sexual abuse, whichever is later.
- If the victim was 35 years of age or older
- Within 5 years, or 5 years from when the victim knew, or reasonably should have known, of any act constituting sexual abuse, whichever is later.
Please contact us to discuss the specific notice and lawsuit timelines for your case (or your child’s case if a minor was sexually abused during a relationship).
What resources are available in Washington, DC, for victims of sexual abuse in a relationship?
A few Washington, DC resources for victims of sexual abuse, assault, or rape by a partner, spouse, or someone they know include the following:
- Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. This link includes departmental resources, liaison units, national resources (such as RAINN), local resources (such as the DC Child and Family Services Agency), financial assistance resources, deaf and hard-of-hearing sexual assault resources, and other resources.
- DC Coalition to End Sexual Violence. This link includes a DC victims’ hotline, frequently asked questions, and resources for survivors, including those harmed by someone they know.
- The DC Rape Crisis Center.
- DC Forensic Nurse Examiners.
Do you have a Washington, DC sexual abuse in a relationship lawyer near me?
Yes. We meet clients of all ages at our Georgetown office located at 1025 Thomas Jefferson St NW #810, Washington, D.C. 20007. Our team also consults with clients by phone and through online video platforms such as Zoom and FaceTime.
Your conversation with us is confidential. We’re here to guide you through each step of your claim.
Speak with our Washington, DC, sexual abuse in a relationship lawyers today
Don’t suffer alone. You have remedies. At Nace Law Group Accident & Injury Lawyers, we’ve been fighting for personal injury victims for 40 years. No matter what relationship you have with someone, you have the right to refuse sexual contact without your consent. You have the right to hold the people you have relationships with accountable when they violate your rights.
Please call us or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We’re ready to fight for your dignity now.