Only a few more months later Josh Duggar was found guilty of one count each of receiving and possessing child pornography, four of his sisters are facing a “disappointing” court loss. 2017 Sisters Jill DillardAnd Jessa Seewald filed a lawsuit against Springdale and Washington County officials in Arkansas over their illegal release of documents concerning Josh’s molestation scandal. Later, they were joined by younger sisters Jinger Duggar VuoloAnd Joy-Anna Duggar ForsythConcerning the 2015 privacy invasion
What’s Going On With Josh Duggar’s Sentencing?
Josh Duggar is still awaiting sentence after being found guilty on one count of receiving and possessing child pornography. However, his lawyers have requested a federal judge to either give a new trial or acquittal. While he embarks on his latest legal Hail Mary, four of his sisters are facing a court loss that Jill Dillard called “disappointing.”
This case stems out of officials in Springdale, Washington County releasing redacted information to the media after they were questioned. In Touch WeeklyA Freedom of Information Act request was filed to obtain information about the Duggar family. Authorities believed that they were legally required to release the requested reports, despite the fact the individuals involved were minors.
Why did Jessa and Jill file a lawsuit?
The reports in question were about Josh’s molestation scandal, where he admitted to having molested five young girls between the ages of 5 and 11, four of whom were his own sisters, while he himself was between 14 and 15-years-old. Officials released these documents in 2015. It caused a lot of controversy for the Duggars, who were enjoying huge success from their TLC reality TV show. 19 Kids and Counting.
The show first began filming just a year after Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar discovered Josh’s inappropriate behavior. They initially punished Josh but then turned to an elder of their church for help. When the behavior still didn’t stop, Josh’s parents met with an Arkansas state trooper, where an official report was made, but no actions were taken to either remove the vulnerable children from the home or punish Josh, who was 18 at that point.
As a result of those released documents, several of Josh’s victims were unmasked, including sisters Jill and Jessa, who went on to give an interview to Megyn Kelly concerning the sexual abuse. Two years later, the sisters would sue government officials who had released their records. This effort would later be joined later by Joy-Anna and Jinger.
Interview with Megyn Kelly
The ‘Disappointing’ End To The Case
The sisters were disappointed by the conclusion of the case. Although the judge agreed that it was wrong to release the documents, which detailed sex crimes against minors, the judge also acknowledged that the authorities behind the release believed they were legally required to do so. As a result, the judge ruled, law enforcement agencies, as well as the city of Springdale, were “immune” from liability in the case.
Although the case has been a disaster, there are some positive aspects. Jill wrote a blog post on her family’s websiteAbout the ruling and where she plans to go with her family.
Jill Dillard speaks out, advocates for victims
“While we appreciate the hard work the Court has put into our case and we highly respect the Judge, we are disappointed with the ruling that the City and County’s statutory immunity protects them from our claims,” Jill wrote, in part.
She continued, “It is unfortunate that bad actors, under the guise of public service, are given a license to intentionally inflict pain without regard for innocent victims.” Jill went on to call out one official in particular, a woman named Kathy O’Kelly, who Jill accused of abusing “her authority by illegally releasing police records.”
In conclusion, Jill noted that this case was what inspired her husband Derick Dillard to pursue a career in law and stated that they will “continue to fight for victims’ rights.”
“In the pursuit of justice, the impact on victims, especially child sex victims, should not be an afterthought, and they should not be relegated to collateral damage,” she added before coming to a powerful, emotional conclusion.
“Victims need to be supported and protected, not hung out to dry simply because the end justifies the means. Victims have been bullied, shamed and blamed for too long. So why is it that perpetrators are still encouraged while victims are punished? This needs to change, and only then can victims become survivors.”
It’s deeply unfortunate that these young women did not get the justice they deserve after their lives were irrevocably changed thanks to the bad judgment of adults who should have looked after the sisters’ well-being after they were the victim of a truly horrendous crime. Hopefully this case will stop other survivors of sexual abuse being subject to the same injustice.
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