Girl Awarded $2 Million in Molestation Lawsuit

A 12-year-old girl was awarded more than $2 million Friday in a civil lawsuit against her godfather, who was sentenced last year to three years in prison after pleading guilty to molesting the child.

A Superior Court judge in Lancaster awarded Desiray Bartak $1 million general damages, $1 million in punitive damages, $1,000 in medical and special damages and $35,000 in future medical damages.

Desiray, who said she decided to go public with her identity in the hope that she could encourage other child victims to pursue civil court cases against their abusers, sued Richard Streate, 30, on grounds of child sexual abuse, sexual battery, assault, emotional distress and negligence.

Gloria Allred, Desiray’s attorney, said she believes Desiray’s civil case is the first of its kind in the nation.

The girl, who was 10 at the time Streate molested her, wrote a letter to Allred 15 months ago detailing the incidents and asking for the attorney’s help, Allred said. At a January, 1993, news conference announcing her civil suit, Desiray said her father did not believe her when she told him that Streate, his childhood friend, had attacked her.

“It’s so other children will come forward,” the girl said last year. “That’s why I’m doing this. And to have parents realize it does happen.”

Desiray blamed Streate for her nightmares, loss of sleep and thoughts of suicide. She also changed schools, saying that once other children found out about the incident, she was taunted and told that the molestation was her fault.

“Desiray took this action because she believes that children who are abused should not be terrorized into silence by their abusers,” Allred said. “Instead, wherever possible, they should learn their rights, break the silence and fight back.”

This also marked the first case that Allred, a widely known feminist attorney, argued alongside her daughter, attorney Lisa Bloom. “It was a mother and daughter on behalf of another mother and daughter,” Allred said.

Allred said that whether Desiray is able actually to collect the money from her abuser, a former construction worker and the married father of four children, is not the most important part of the case.

“She feels that her rights have been vindicated,” Allred said.