Jaycee Dugard Sues Federal Government
Jaycee Dugard filed a lawsuit against the federal government Thursday for failing to monitor Phillip Garrido's parole, a convicted sex offender who kidnapped her and held her captive for 18 years.
Dugard filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. The complaint stated the federal parole officers made "outrageous and inexcusable" mistakes in handling Garrido's parole. Her attorneys argue that if the officers did their jobs correctly, Dugard and her daughters would not have endured years of captivity in a shack tucked inside Garrido's backyard.
The complaint states that his parole officers knew he was still dangerous, yet neglected to get Garrido the proper mental health treatment. It also states that while on parole, Garrido tested positive for drugs and alcohol, which is a violation for sex offenders. He was never punished.
Dugard is seeking unspecified damages, which will be donated to her nonprofit organization to help other victims.
In 1977, Garrido was convicted of raping and kidnapping a 25-year-old woman. He kidnapped Dugard in 1991 when she was 11 years old. She and her daughters have already received a $20 million settlement from the state of California for the failings of the law enforcement.
