Chicago Psychiatric Hospital Is Under Fire Over Reports Alleging Abuse of Children

From the Duaa Elbeib's article in the ProPublica Illinois

"A Chicago psychiatric hospital that treats hundreds of children in state care is under federal and state investigation over safety concerns and alleged sexual assaults, and it may be forced to close if it can’t correct deficiencies.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has investigated 16 allegations of abuse and neglect this year at the Aurora Chicago Lakeshore Hospital in the city’s Uptown community, including allegations that children were raped and sexually abused by staff and other patients, physically assaulted and inadequately supervised, a ProPublica Illinois investigation found...

...Lakeshore’s most recent regulatory troubles began this summer at its adult building, though documented concerns there go back several years. In the last 12 months, at least two people have filed lawsuits in Cook County Circuit Court against the hospital alleging sexual assaults at the adult building, including a woman who said an employee followed her into a bathroom and raped her. Both lawsuits are pending.

This year alone, state regulators conducted inspections three times at the hospital, in July, August and this month. During the July inspection, public health inspectors faulted the hospital for having doors that posed a suicide risk. They also found that the hospital did not collect samples for a rape kit after a patient alleged she was sexually assaulted, failed to complete required safety checks and did not obtain informed consent from patients before administering psychotropic medications, according to a July 27 report obtained through an open records request...."

Click here to read the full article on the ProPublica Illinois website.