About Roggendorf Law

Roggendorf Law LLC is the law firm of Kristian Roggendorf, one of the most skilled and experienced child abuse lawyers in the Pacific Northwest.  Primarily representing adult victims of institutions such as the Catholic Church, LDS Church, Boy Scouts, Oregon school districts, the Oregon Department of Human Services and other institutions responsible for the welfare of children, Kristian also represents plaintiffs in appeals and citizens who have had their property condemned, destroyed, or damaged by the government.

If you are a victim of abuse, the first thing you must know is that the child abuse you suffered was never your fault.  Children cannot consent to sexual contact either legally or morally, and adults bear a heavy responsibility to maintain healthy, appropriate relationships with children at all times.  When it comes right down to it, you were just a kid.  If you haven’t already, go and find a therapist to talk to.  A convenient list of local Portland are therapists is here:  OAASIS.  Litigation is not the answer in every case, but it can often be a huge step on the road to your healing.

Another new filing today: Toddler abused by neighbor boy; Apartment management knew he was dangerous.

abuseMy friend Erin Olson and I filed a case today on behalf of a sweet, wonderful little girl who was terribly abused by a neighbor boy at her Canby apartment.  Here’s the press release:

Portland, OR — Lawyers representing a young toddler filed suit on her behalf today against Norris & Stevens and a Canby apartment complex known as Willamette Grove apartments, alleging that the girl suffered rape and molestation at the hands of a violent and dangerous neighbor boy when management failed to warn of the risk they knew he posed.

The suit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, alleges that the apartment complex manager had previously received multiple reports of the boy engaging in acts including threatening other young children with a knife and inappropriately peeping in the bedroom window of another young child, but had taken no action in response to the reports.

“Apartment management had ample warning that the boy posed a risk to others is in the complex, and particularly to children younger than him, and they chose to protect the boy rather than the other residents.” said Erin Olson, one of the attorneys representing the interests of the victim.

Kristian Roggendorf, another attorney representing the victim added, “Apartment complexes in Oregon have a responsibility to warn their residents about known dangers, even when those dangers are other residents.”

The suit, which names as defendants Norris and Stevens and Grand Oaks Willamette, LLC, also alleges that the apartment’s management attempted to evict the victim’s family after family members complained to management about the assault, and warned other residents with small children of the danger posed by the assailant.

This case is truly tragic all the way around.  Our client was seriously harmed, but the boy is also obviously deeply damaged.  The management’s protecting him only emboldened him to take his actions to a terrible new level, and for that, Norris & Stevens and Grand Oaks Willamette must be held to account.  It deeply saddens me that they ever allowed this boy to go so far, and yet still tried t keep it secret, even after the abuse was disclosed.