The Duggar Family has finally taken legal action over the release of the legal documents that revealed to the world that Josh Duggar had molested five girls (including four of his little sisters) during his teenage years.
TMZ broke the news that the four Duggar sisters who were revealed to be Josh’s victims–Jill, Jessa, Jinger and Joy— filed a lawsuit against the city of Springdale, Arkansas, as well as the city’s police officials, for allowing the legal documents detailing the sexual abuse to be released.
The publishers of In Touch Weekly, which was the magazine that released the bombshell report in 2015, is also named in the Duggar girls’ lawsuit.
According to TMZ, the girls state in their lawsuit that, back in 2006, they told the city’s police officials what Josh had done to them. The girls, who were all minors at the time, claim they were assured that “their statements would only be shared with police and child service officials.”
“They say In Touch filed a Freedom of Information Act request in 2015 to obtain the police files,” TMZ reports. “However, in the suit, the sisters say under Arkansas laws the police are forbidden from disclosing any information related to sexual misconduct involving children.”
The Duggar girls all claim that they were further victimized when In Touch made their private confessions public. Although the girls’ names were, indeed, redacted from the documents before the release, some information was left visible that revealed that four of Josh’s five victims were related to him, causing the public to be able to figure out which sisters were the victims.
After the magazine released the documents, Jill and Jessa appeared on a special and tearfully stated that they were shocked and horrified when they found out the documents were circulating the Internet.
Josh’s fifth victim, who is not related to him, has yet to come forward. Last summer, it was reported that she was ready to go public, but that never happened.
Since the documents went public, the Duggar family has been threatening to take legal action against the responsible parties. A month after the documents were released, the City of Springdale released a statement claiming its reps did what the law demands them to do in situations like this.
“On 5/20/15, in full compliance with Arkansas Law, the Springdale Police Department responded to a records request under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act,” the statement read. “The requested record was not sealed or expunged, and at the time the report was filed, the person listed in the report was an adult. Any names of minors included in the report, as well as pronouns, were redacted from the report by the Springdale Police Department in compliance with Arkansas law prior to release.”
The Duggar girls have not mentioned the lawsuit on their social media accounts, but in a statement to TMZ, the family claims that they are only suing “to protect all children who are victims of abuse.”
The Duggar girls involved in this event are all adults now, and Jill, Jessa and Jinger are all married. Joy is due to get hitched this weekend.
UPDATE: Click hereThe City of Springdale has responded to the Duggar girls’ lawsuit, stating that it is “without merit.” for the latest details!
(Photo: TLC)
49 Responses
Everything about this is disgusting. The girls are so brainwashed it makes me sick. Please do something about this twisted cult of molesters and abusers.
PROTECT CHILDREN WHO ARE VICTIMS OF ABUSE?! Did you really, your own daughters?! It was shown Josh HIMSELF drove with the girls without anyone keeping an eye on him and you lied how girls aren’t allowed on guy’s laps although they were on Ben’s and Derick’s before you barely even knew them…….IF YOU DIDN’T PROTECT YOUR OWN CHILDREN AND LET THEIR ABUSER STILL LIVE WITH THEM, HOW WILL YOUR PROTECT OTHER CHILDREN WITH THIS?! You are only pissed off because your son got caught doing something completely disgusting, he shows no remorse and neither do you.
Interesting that the four girls who were victims of Josh are the four who are all getting married off and having their own kids. Maybe they’re trying to get out of Daddy Duggar’s house of crazy as soon as possible. Or maybe Daddy Duggar is finding them men because “they deserve it for forgiving Josh”. Jana never had to forgive Josh so Jim Bob will find her a man once Joy is married.
Think they are correct to complain but ehm… why don’t they complain about how their cases were never handled as the should have by the police? Why don’t they complain about how their abuser got away with it?
The sisters are correct in going after those who leaked files and documents. Leaks are the real crime as President Trump has told us many times. Fake news is everywhere, as he warns us, and In Touch fits his description. Bad news hurts good people adding to witch hunts. I’m sure the girls will win, they are strong and never give up, great Americans. God bless them.
Shouldn’t they forgive the City, Police and magazine as they forgave their attacker?
Also, is it fake news if it’s real? These girls were really molesting by their brother whose crimes were covered up and never charged. That’s real.
“Shouldn’t they forgive the City, Police and magazine as they forgave their attacker?”
Yes. IF the city, magazine, and police admit the wrongs done, ask forgiveness and agree to a fair settlement with the girls.
Josh, the person who attacked them, didn’t pay a settlement (fair or otherwise) though. So shouldn’t an apology be enough?
How is this fake news again? I’m not sure you understand the definition of the word “fake.” You see, fake news would be if the story was completely false or made up, or if the facts of the story were changed in any way. But when this story came out, it was confirmed by the Duggars, by Josh, and by the sisters themselves. So explain to me again how this is fake news?
But it’s okay, we understand. After all, if your brain allowed you to actually think it was a good idea to vote Trump into the presidency, then I can see how you wouldn’t be able to understand the definition of “fake.”
Now, if you wanted to make the argument that In Touch was irresponsible for running that story and releasing those documents, maybe you could make the case. But since that isn’t what you’re saying, then I can’t give you that kind of credit.
It’s fake because it was wrong to print it to hurt the girls. It wasn’t news.
Sooo I don’t think the word “fake” means what you think it means. Fake doesn’t mean morally wrong. It means false, untrue, not real, etc.
Sooo something that is illegal and wrong and hurtful to victims is real good news to you. Keep worshipping your real fake news.
Still didn’t quite get the definition of “fake” I see. There is no such thing as “real fake news.”
Also, it remains to be seen if the City, Police or In Touch did anything illegal. Besides, you have no issue with people doing illegal things and not facing consequences.
A fake Rolex is still a real watch. It’s a real fake. A real Rolex still says “Rolex” on it,but that doesn’t determine fakery.
Nice try. That is not an accurate analogy. Factually correct news is not fake, no matter how hard you try.
Ok? “Fake” and “unkind” are not the same thing. Do you really not know the definition of fake?
The article was not “fake” because all events really happened. They are facts. No one said they were good facts, but facts nonetheless. But sure, it wasn’t very nice of the magazine to publish it.
Really though, this is like preschool vocabulary.
When are people going to quit feeding this Lilly Whitestone troll? Maybe everyone should just start automatically downvoting everything s/he says.
Maybe you can pray to get a brain! It’s sad that uneducated people like you put this great country in harms way because of your uneducated twisted views.
Seriously? Fake news? It’s documented. And as far as your president trump warns you about fake news, he’s the BIGGEST spreader of fake news. Start opening up a book and actually learn something. It’s because of people like you who don’t do your own research that we have a problem with fake news from places like Fox News and conservative media outlets.
I completely agree with the girls on this one. I hope they win. No victim of sexual abuse should be outed and the way the report was even with the names redacted it made it very clear who his victims were. These girls had the right to privacy and to not have anyone know what happened to them unless they chose to share it.
I have to agree with you on this one. In no way am I on Josh’s side. I personally think he should of been in a lot more trouble than he was. It’s disgusting what he did, and even more wrong that his parents covered it up. But let’s not forget how all 4 of those girls are victims. Yes we can hate them because they are brainwashed into thinking that it was fine, but they are still victims. Those papers released never said names, but said 4 were his sisters. He only had 5 sisters at the time so come on. It was easy to piece together who was a victim. That’s not morally right.
That being said josh, Jim bob, and Michelle are a bunch of POS’s…..
It’s fake because it was wrong to print and it harmed the girls.
I feel like you’re confused about the definition of “fake”. But then again, you’re a Trump supporter so you’re probably confused about a lot of things….
Clinton lost, for real. Why does that confuse you?
But yet they were forced, by their parents, to continue living with and interacting with their abuser.
This family is so warped. They’ll sue a publication for outting a pedofile…..but don’t believe in punishing the molester. What a sick, brainwashed bunch.
Josh inappropriately fondled his sisters and it’s the City’s fault? Not the parents who continued to bring a litter of kids into this disfunctional situation or hold their son accountable for his actions? I’m sure Jim Bob is behind this, but all the Duggars should take a good long look in the mirror
So if the police, the city, and US Magazine all pray really hard for forgiveness, will the Duggars drop the lawsuit? Because by their logic, Josh is forgiven, soooooo…. #hypocrites
I meant to upvote you but accidentally down voted you. I completely agree with what you said!!
I just know that this guy is a total creep. But havnt read much into what he had done to his sisters. Did the documents say exactly what happened with each one?
I think it just said that he had admitted to touching their breasts and genital area.
I know it said that in 2003 he fondled his 5 year old sister when she was sitting on his lap and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this one was Joy…
Josh would sneak into his sister’s rooms at night and molest them . He would also molest them in the laundry room and he molested the youngest sister while she was sitting in his lap, reading her a story. It wasn’t playing doctor, it was just an inquisitive teen. It was a fifteen and sixteen year old boy finger banging his own sisters, as young as four years old. The Duggars finally locked the girls in their room to keep him out. God forgave him, though. So now he has little girls of his own, so I’m sure they are perfectly safe to sit on their Daddy’s lap in little dresses and hear stories.
OMG, I never heard about the lap incidents or laundry room incidents. That is disgusting!
You must be very, very sick to do that to your own sisters. Why can’t the state re open this case to fix the mistakes their law inforcement made all those years ago?
He has two daughters now. I’m actually mortified for them, I know he may not do anything to them but once a molester, always a molester. Anna should keep an eye on him if she wasn’t smart enough to leave him.
His parents made sure the statute of limitations passed before it was reported. He was sent to a friend to do remodeling work. That was the extent of his rehab.
Okay I hadn’t heard about the lap incident. Just another sickening act to add on to this whole disgusting situation. What a gross human being.
I didn’t know that Joy was one of the girls. She would have only been 5-6. If I was Anna I’d be terrified about my own children. Josh is such a disgusting, sick freak.
Yes, she was only 5 at the time. She was sitting on Josh’s lap while he read her a story and fondled her. It’s truly horrifying. She told her dad what happened and apparently that was the incident that finally led to Josh being sent to work on a farm somewhere. But forget therapy for him and the girls. That’s asking too much…
Maybe the spoiled brats should have filed a lawsuit against their nasty pedophile brother when he molested them, and not let daddy send him to a family friend . The only reason they even gave a show is because of this “scandal” the whole family is a cult waiting to happen and a colossal joke as a family. Go marry your daddy Duggar approved men and pump out your required amount of children to stay relevant.
Twisted family! Thanks TLC for wasting money on pedophiles. Try something else then big families or little people.
TLC wastes money on pedophiles all the time. Josh Duggar, Andrea Clevenger, Toby Willis, Mama June’s boyfriend,
First of all the girls are NOT filing a lawsuit. Daddy duggar is and he is just forcing them to comply as he always does. Second, why on earth would they expect their case to be handled properly when their father wouldn’t allow it to be handled properly in the first place! It wasn’t a real case as far as I am concerned because it was just a bunch of good ole boys and papa duggar secretly “taking care of it” behind the scenes so no harm would come to the family. Bullshit!
Jim Bob has to come up with money to pay for all those weddings.
Trying to make a buck….hey girls how bout Stop letting Jimbob Control you, and get Real jobs! If you’re going to sue anyone..Sue you’re pervert brother Josh! Hes the Real one at fault