Blog: Sexual Abuse

NBC: Kristen Gibbons Feden Speaks Out as Virginia Giuffre’s Family Urges Trump Not to Pardon Ghislaine Maxwell Amid Public Outcry

Aug 11, 2025

Recently, President Donald Trump was asked whether he would pardon several high-profile figures, including Sean “Diddy” Combs, former Republican representative George Santos, and Ghislaine Maxwell. In a statement to Newsmax, Trump admitted that, to date, he had only been asked to pardon one of them. The possibility of a pardon for Maxwell, who is currently serving 20 years in a federal prison for trafficking minors for the late Jeffrey Epstein, has sparked nationwide interest and outrage...

Feeling Heard and Believed: Why Many Women Choose Female Lawyers in Sexual Abuse Lawsuits

Jul 21, 2025

This message is for survivors, especially those who are still deciding whether to speak up. If that’s you, please know this: your voice matters. Your story matters. And you deserve to be heard with compassion, dignity, and respect. Every time our firm takes on a sexual abuse case, we are deeply moved by the bravery it takes to come forward. We are honored to walk beside survivors as they step out of silence and into the...

Press Conference: Anapol Weiss Announces 107 Additional Lawsuits Against Illinois Juvenile Detention Centers

Jul 18, 2025

In our continued fight against the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse that occurred at Cook County Juvenile Detention Center and Illinois Youth Centers, Anapol Weiss, along with co-counsel, has filed an additional 107 lawsuits on behalf of survivors. We announced these filings at a recent press conference held in downtown Chicago. Survivors Bravely Speak Out and Demand Accountability During the press conference, survivors bravely shared firsthand accounts of the harm they suffered while in the state’s custody...

With Anapol Weiss’s March Lawsuit Filing, 200 Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse in MD Join Legal Action Against Juvenile Detention Centers Nationwide

Jun 4, 2025

Leading Abuse and Assault Attorneys Pursue Justice Through the Civil Legal System for Victims in Maryland, Illinois, and Beyond For decades, children detained in juvenile detention centers throughout Maryland were subjected to horrific physical and sexual abuse that allegedly included brutal beatings and rapes. With the guidance of Anapol Weiss shareholder Kristen Gibbons Feden, shareholder Alexandra Walsh, and partner Holly Dolejsi, along with co-counsel at other firms, hundreds of survivors have now taken legal action, as...

Anapol Weiss Secures Settlement Leading to Sweeping Safety Reforms at School

May 21, 2025

Anapol Weiss shareholder Kila Baldwin and associate Jillian Bello are proud to announce that they have recently secured settlement in a sexual assault and negligent security case against a K-12 school in Pensylvania. While the settlement brings closure and healing to move forward for our client, it also represents a seismic shift in how the school will handle sexual abuse in the future. Driving Change Through Accountability As a result of the outcome of this case, the...

When the System Fails: Fighting for Survivors of Abuse and Institutional Betrayal

May 6, 2025

The recent Philadelphia Inquirer article detailing the heartbreaking death of 2-year-old Su’Layah Williams in a foster home approved by the Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS) has stirred a familiar ache in those of us who’ve worked within child protection systems. It’s not just a tragic headline. It’s a devastating failure—one that should never happen. As someone who has worked inside DHS and later prosecuted some of the most difficult child abuse and sexual assault cases...

Associated Press: “They Cannot Be Ignored,” Says Kristen Feden After Securing $1.6 Billion for Sexual Assault Victims

Apr 8, 2025

[Summary of Associated Press article entitled, “After decades of sex abuse complaints, a NY pediatrician is ordered to pay $1.6B to over 100 women”] In a powerful and precedent-setting moment for justice, 104 survivors represented by a dedicated legal team—including Anapol Weiss shareholder Kristen Gibbons Feden—secured a historic $1.6 billion in verdicts for sexual abuse perpetrated by a former New York pediatrician. The 104 plaintiffs, many of whom were children at the time of the abuse, bravely...

LAW.COM: A Moment of Reckoning: Kristen Feden Celebrates Securing $1.6 Billion in Verdicts for Child Sexual Abuse Survivors

Apr 7, 2025

[Summary of April 4, 2025 Law.com New York Law Journal article: “'A Moment of Reckoning': Attorneys Secure Total of $1.6 Billion in CVA Verdicts Against Former Long Island Pediatrician”] In a historic legal victory, Kristen Gibbons Feden, a nationally recognized civil rights attorney and shareholder at Anapol Weiss, secured $1.6 billion in total verdicts for survivors of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of disgraced Long Island pediatrician Stuart Copperman. Alongside co-counsel Michael Della of Gruenberg...

Sexual Trafficking Organizations Hiding in Plain Sight

Apr 2, 2025

This month is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and it is a vitally important month for our society. Many of us have seen signs posted in public restrooms, in airports, and even in movie theaters to report sexual trafficking if you see it. But what is sexual trafficking? For those of you who aren’t sure, here is primer on what sexual trafficking is and why it is so detrimental to our society. Sexual trafficking is a form...

When Employers Turn a Blind Eye: Miriam Barish is Seeking Justice for a Young Mother Lost to Preventable Violence

Apr 2, 2025

This month marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month—a time when we confront the many faces of violence against women, amplify the voices of survivors, and recommit ourselves to creating a safer world. As a trial attorney at Anapol Weiss and a mother, this month resonates deeply for me—especially as I litigate one of the most heartbreaking negligent security cases of my career. My client, a 28-year-old mother of two young children, was working at a Metro by...