Louisiana jury awards $1.1bn to woman who sued over childhood molestation in 1960s
Summary
A Louisiana jury awarded $1.1 billion to Pamela Elaine Lockridge for childhood sexual abuse by her late stepfather. The verdict was made possible by a 2021 Louisiana law that removed filing deadlines for old child molestation cases.Key Facts
- Pamela Elaine Lockridge sued over abuse by her stepfather, Leroy Edwards, from 1962 to 1976.
- In 2011, Edwards admitted to molesting Lockridge but was too old to be criminally prosecuted.
- Louisiana's 2021 "lookback law" allows survivors to file lawsuits regardless of how long ago abuse happened.
- The jury awarded $500 million for pain and suffering, $600 million in punitive damages, and $585,000 for medical costs.
- Edwards died in 2023, so the case was against his estate.
- Lockridge’s lawyer says the case aims to hold abusers accountable and protect children.
- This case is one of the largest civil awards in Louisiana for childhood sexual abuse.
- A previous similar case under the lookback law awarded $2.4 million to a survivor of abuse by a religious figure.
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