Woman Who Claimed Abuse Was Ignored Gets $1.7M

Washington state has agreed to pay $1.7 million to a woman who claimed social workers failed to investigate reports of neglect and sexual abuse three decades ago.

The Seattle Times reported a judge signed off on the settlement to the 2017 lawsuit against the state Department of Social and Health Services.

The 42-year-old woman says Carl Watson Jr. abused her for years, starting when she was 13. Watson died in 2016.

The suit claimed at least five referrals or complaints were submitted to the department from 1989 to 1991, describing the abuse against the girl and her three sisters.

State Department of Children, Youth and Families Secretary Ross Hunter says he hopes the settlement allows the woman to “lead a life that will provide the support she needs.”