Aurora is unusual among Illinois cities. It sits in four counties at once: Kane, DuPage, Will, and Kendall. For survivors of sexual abuse, that geography can affect where a civil claim is filed and which institutions are involved.
Before getting into those details, the most important point is simple. It is very often not too late, and you do not need a police report or a conviction. A claim depends on your age when the abuse happened, who was responsible, and the facts. Whether anyone believed you at the time does not decide it. Attorney Ervin Nevitt, a partner at Coplan + Crane (Illinois bar registration 6319808, admitted 2014), reviews these cases.
The county where it happened usually decides the court
Most civil claims are filed in the circuit court of the county where the abuse took place. Two survivors living a few miles apart in Aurora could end up in different courthouses. If the claim is against the State of Illinois, it goes to the Illinois Court of Claims instead.
County lines also change the church involved
The same lines affect religious institutions. The Kane County side of Aurora is part of the Diocese of Rockford. The Illinois Attorney General's 2023 report named 24 clerics in that diocese with substantiated child sexual abuse claims. The DuPage, Will, and Kendall County sides belong to the Diocese of Joliet, where the report named 69.
And they shape which school district is responsible
Six separate school districts serve Aurora. East Aurora District 131 has about 12,000 students across 22 sites and is the 13th largest district in Illinois. West Aurora District 129 and Indian Prairie District 204 also serve the city, with three more districts covering the rest. The district a school sits in decides who the defendant is.
When the responsible party is a school district, a county, or the state, the Illinois Tort Immunity Act applies, along with notice requirements that do not apply to private organizations. It is the first thing to check and an easy one to get wrong.
Common Questions Around Aurora County Lines
I do not know which county the school or church was in. Is that a problem? No. Working out which institution was responsible, and where, is part of what we look into at no cost to you.
The abuser is no longer alive. Can I still act? Yes, a claim can still proceed. These cases are usually brought against the institution that placed the person in a position of trust.
Does it matter that it was decades ago? It matters, but your age at the time, who was responsible, and the facts are what govern it. Many people assume they are out of time and are not.
Support in Aurora
You do not need to speak to a lawyer to get help. Mutual Ground in Aurora offers a 24-hour sexual violence hotline at 630-897-8383. RAINN is available at 1-800-656-4673, free and confidential, at any hour.
What happens if you contact us
Asking does not start anything. You speak with a person, not a form, and you do not need to describe what happened. We look at who had a duty, what it knew, and what records exist. Then we tell you plainly what is possible.
If you decide not to continue, that ends it, and what you shared stays confidential. If you continue, we handle filings, deadlines, records, and insurers. Steps can be taken to protect your identity in the court record.
Call (708) 671-6858 for a free, confidential case review.
