Sexual Abuse Lawyer

Within the broader personal injury practice at Rafaeli Law, PLLC, sexual abuse representation occupies a distinct and sensitive place. The firm, based on the seventh floor of a Midtown high-rise at 1447 Peachtree Street NE along Atlanta's central Peachtree corridor, extends its civil litigation experience to survivors of sexual abuse and assault throughout Fulton County and the wider metro area. This work sits alongside the firm's negligent security, premises liability, and wrongful death matters, reflecting a focus on holding both individuals and negligent institutions accountable for preventable harm.

How This Work Fits Rafaeli Law, PLLC's Practice

Rafaeli Law, PLLC is a personal injury law firm that handles car, truck, motorcycle, and rideshare accidents, medical malpractice, birth injuries, product liability, and nursing home negligence, among other matters. Sexual abuse cases connect closely with several of these areas — particularly negligent security, where a property owner or business fails to provide reasonable safety and an assault becomes possible. Because the firm already litigates premises liability and works with medical professionals to document harm, it approaches abuse claims with a trauma-informed method that protects a survivor's dignity while pursuing accountability from abusers and the institutions that failed to protect them.

Importantly, these are civil matters. Criminal charges are prosecuted by the state and can lead to jail or prison time for an abuser, while a civil lawsuit is filed by the survivor and focuses on financial recovery for the harm done. The two paths run separately, and a survivor may pursue civil compensation regardless of the status of any criminal case.

What These Matters Involve in Plain Language

Sexual abuse encompasses any non-consensual sexual activity, and under the Georgia Criminal Code various degrees are treated as criminal offenses. Such harm can occur in homes, workplaces, healthcare settings, schools, youth programs, hotels, apartment complexes, event venues, or public spaces. The lasting toll is often severe, and Rafaeli Law, PLLC recognizes how deeply it can reshape a survivor's life.

• Molestation or groping: unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature, frequently in schools, youth programs, or public settings.
• Rape or sexual assault: forced penetration or sexual acts without consent, causing physical and psychological trauma.
• Workplace sexual misconduct: abuse of power, harassment, or coercion in professional environments.
• Child sexual abuse: harm that often occurs within trusted institutions such as churches, schools, or youth organizations.
• Negligent security claims: situations where a property owner's failure to provide reasonable safety enables an assault.

Survivors frequently live with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and difficulty maintaining relationships or employment. The firm works with trauma-informed professionals and medical malpractice attorneys to build cases supported by credible evidence, strengthening the connection between the abuse and its documented consequences.

Understanding Damages in a Civil Claim

Financial compensation cannot undo the trauma, but it can help a survivor rebuild stability. The table below outlines categories of damages that Georgia law may allow in a civil sexual abuse claim, drawn from the firm's description of this work.

What Survivors Can Expect With Rafaeli Law, PLLC

The firm approaches these cases with care and structure, guided by its stated core values of respect, persistence, discipline, and client-centered advocacy. A survivor's path through a civil claim generally follows a sequence like this:

1. An initial, confidential consultation to discuss the circumstances and the survivor's goals, offered at no charge.
2. Review of where the abuse occurred and whether a workplace, school, institution, or property owner may share responsibility.
3. Gathering credible evidence, working alongside trauma-informed professionals and medical experts to document the harm.
4. Identifying the responsible parties, which may include an abuser and any institution that failed in its duty to protect.
5. Evaluating the available damages, from medical and therapy costs to lost wages and pain and suffering.
6. Pursuing accountability through negotiation or civil litigation, with the firm working on a contingency basis so clients are not charged unless a recovery is obtained.

Serving Atlanta and Surrounding Communities

From its Midtown office near Colony Square and the High Museum of Art, Rafaeli Law, PLLC represents survivors across Atlanta and the surrounding neighborhoods. The firm's reach includes Brookwood Hills, Morningside-Lenox Park, Virginia-Highland, Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park, Sweet Auburn, Downtown Atlanta, and areas farther out such as Brookhaven, Sandy Springs, Decatur, Druid Hills, and North Druid Hills. These are communities anchored by familiar landmarks like Piedmont Park, Ponce City Market, the Fox Theatre, and the Atlanta Botanical Garden — the everyday settings where residents live, work, and raise families.

By pairing its experience in negligent security and premises liability with a survivor-focused, trauma-informed approach, Rafaeli Law, PLLC positions itself as an advocate for those seeking justice after sexual abuse. The firm's civil work aims to give survivors throughout Fulton County a path toward accountability and recovery, handled with the discretion and persistence such matters demand.