Sexual abuse has a profound impact on its victims, particularly when the abuser is in a position of trust. Tragically, many abusers use their roles in institutions meant to support children and families to take advantage of children for their own sexual gratification.
Sexual abuse causes mental and sometimes physical injuries. A survivor can sue the abuser and those who enabled the abuse for compensation. Many states offer extended timeframes for victims of childhood sexual abuse to come forward.
If you were the victim of childhood sexual abuse by a person who exploited their position as a representative of a respected institution or the parent of a minor who suffered such abuse, contact Phillips Law Group. Our Pennsylvania institutional sex abuse lawyers can help you bring a claim for financial compensation and hold the institution that failed you accountable.
Where Does Institutional Abuse Happen?
A person who suffers childhood sex abuse often faces a lifetime of consequences. They may develop mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, addiction, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many survivors have trouble finding and maintaining nourishing personal relationships.
A survivor can bring a lawsuit against their abuser seeking compensation, but most abusers lack the resources to pay a judgment. However, the institution that provided the abuser with access to children also has responsibility, and institutions usually have generous insurance policies. Institutions that could be liable for the sexual abuse of minors include organizations such as:
- Schools
- Summer camps
- Juvenile detention facilities
- Group homes and foster homes
- Churches and church-affiliated organizations
- School and community-sponsored sports leagues
- Service organizations like the Boy Scouts of America
- Organizations providing services to the developmentally disabled
Almost any organization that provides services to minors or vulnerable adults could be liable in a sexual abuse lawsuit.
The Pennsylvania attorneys at Phillips Law Group recognize the trauma engendered by institutional sexual abuse. We treat every case with sensitivity and empower the survivor at every point in the litigation process.
How to Prove an Institution Is Liable
When an institution employs someone in either a paid or volunteer capacity, it has an obligation to make reasonable efforts to ensure the person is trustworthy around children and other vulnerable people. Parents have the right to expect the institution will make basic inquiries like checking with prior employers and running a criminal background check.
An institution has an obligation to establish and enforce standards of conduct that protect the children it serves. The institution must also promptly and vigorously investigate complaints and take decisive action when abuse is suspected.
Unfortunately, institutions often fail to properly screen people before allowing them to work with children. They may also cover up abuse allegations. Even when they remove a suspected abuser from their institution, they might keep the reasons confidential, leaving the abuser free to prey on other children at a different organization. When a Phillips Law Group attorney can prove a Pennsylvania institution committed any of these acts, a sexual abuse survivor could pursue the organization for negligently enabling their harm.
Timeframe for Bringing Claims
People who experience sexual abuse often need significant time to process what happened to them. It can take years for a survivor to be ready to seek justice. One of the biggest challenges in bringing institutional sex abuse claims is meeting the timeframes for legal action.
As Pennsylvania law currently stands, when a child suffered sexual abuse before January 1, 2019, they have two years from their 18th birthday to bring a claim. An adult who suffered abuse at an institution prior to 2019 had only two years from the date of the abuse to bring a claim and once that deadline passed, they lost the opportunity to seek justice in the courts.
When abuse occurred after January 1, 2019, 42 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes §5533(b)(2) allows a more generous timeframe. When someone was a minor when they experienced sexual abuse, they have until their 55th birthday to file a claim. When the victim was between 18 and 24 when the abuse occurred, they have until their 30th birthday. Survivors who were older than 24 when the abuse occurred are still subject to the standard two-year statute of limitations.
At Phillips Law Group, we are specifically looking into cases involving individuals born after November 1989. But every case is different. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch to learn more about your legal options.
Contact a Phillips Law Group Attorney About Pursuing a Sex Abuse Claim Against a Pennsylvania Institution
Sexual abuse is a violation that can have lifelong ramifications. It is so traumatic that it can take a survivor years before they are ready to talk about what happened and seek redress from the institution that allowed it to occur.
If you believe you are ready to seek justice, speak with a Pennsylvania institutional sex abuse lawyer at Phillips Law Group. Our attorneys are committed to offering compassionate, sensitive, and fierce representation to survivors of institutional sexual abuse. Reach out today to get started.
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