Jill Duggar and husband Derick SLAM ‘evil’ cops for leaking police reports about molestation after lawsuit dismissed
JILL Duggar and her husband Derick Dillard SLAMMED "evil" cops for leaking police reports about molestation after their lawsuit was dismissed.
The couple opened up about the lawsuit in a new statement on their website.
Jill and her sisters Jessa, Jinger and Joy-Anna had legally challenged local authorities over a leaked police report that was believed to be sealed.
The reports were released after an In Touch story claimed their disgraced brother, Josh, molested minors in the family home.
On Wednesday, The Sun exclusively reported that the lawsuit was dismissed after a judge said they failed to prove cops caused them "emotional distress" by leaking a molestation report.
Jill, 30, and her husband Derick, 32, took to their family's website to release a statement following the verdict on Thursday.
"It is unfortunate that bad actors, under the guise of public service, are given a license to intentionally inflict pain without regard for innocent victims. Immunity exists to protect public servants in the event of human error. It is not to be used as an excuse to cause intentional harm."
The couple claimed that police chief "Kathy O’Kelley abused her authority by illegally releasing police reports," adding that there's a "need for tougher accountability of our government officials."
The statement continued: "The level of immunity allowed in many jurisdictions is unsettling, and it is scary what evil is allowed to go unchecked simply because of a position someone holds and the statutory immunity they can claim."
The couple insisted that it's "imperative that everyone in public service is vetted for their integrity and commitment to the people they serve."
Jill and Derick added that they "appreciate" the court for looking into the matter and they "feel vindicated by the fact that the Judge recognized that the law was clear that the records never should have been released."
They noted the "judge made it crystal clear that the reports were illegally released" and argued that it "should never have happened."
JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS
The couple explained the situation influenced Derick to study law so that he "can continue to fight for victims’ rights."
The statement concluded: "In the pursuit of justice, the impact on victims, especially child sex victims, should not be an afterthought, and they should not be relegated to collateral damage.
"Victims need to be supported and protected, not hung out to dry simply because the end justifies the means.
"They have been blamed, shamed, and bullied into silence for too long, so why are we surprised that perpetrators continue to be emboldened and victims are punished for their voice.
"This needs to change, and only then can victims become survivors."
THE CASE
Back in 2015, a 33-page Arkansas police report was released to the public, claiming Duggar patriarch Jim Bob confessed to local authorities that his eldest son Josh, 33, fondled the minor girls while they were asleep in the Duggar family home years prior.
Josh’s younger sisters Jill and Jessa, 29, came forward as two of the alleged victims in an interview with Megyn Kelly, where they insisted they had forgiven Josh, who was never charged, for his wrongdoings.
Then in May 2017, Jill and Jessa sued the City of Springdale, police department employees and other Defendants for invasion of privacy and more, claiming releasing the records caused "extreme mental anguish and emotional distress.”
Sisters Jinger, 27, and Joy-Anna, 24, also sued, though they have not publicly come forward as victims of the alleged molestation.
THE VERDICT
The Sun exclusively revealed that the judge in the Arkansas federal case against the local authorities was dismissed with prejudice after the settlement conference scheduled for Thursday was canceled ahead of the decision.
The judge ruled that the local authorities did not intend to inflict emotional distress and that they were even attempting to conceal the alleged victims' identities by redacting the police report before it was released to the media.
GUILTY
The verdict comes months after Josh was found guilty on child pornography charges in December.
The eldest Duggar son was taken into custody immediately after the verdict came in, and is expected to remain in jail until his sentencing in 2022.
Josh was first arrested in April, more than a year after Homeland Security raided his Arkansas car dealership.
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He was charged with possessing and receiving child pornography.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.