Philadelphia Child Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Do you need help? Call Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan and let us guide and inform you of your options.
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Child sexual abuse is a big issue in this country. UNICEF data suggests that as many as one in every eight girls and women alive today have experienced sexual assault or rape sometime before the age of 18. While this data is staggering, girls aren’t the only victims of child sex abuse. Boys are, too.
Whether your child has been sexually abused or you yourself were in your youth, our legal team at Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan wants to support you. A Philadelphia child sexual abuse lawyer in our office can meet with you for a complimentary, confidential consultation to discuss what happened so that they can advise you of your right to take legal action to secure a settlement.
What Qualifies as Child Sexual Abuse?
The Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR) outlines how the age of consent in our state is 16.
Our state laws allow teens ages 13 to 15 to consent to sexual activity with someone three or fewer years older than them. Pennsylvania law clearly states that children 12 or under cannot consent to sexual activity of any sort under any circumstances, though. Thus, any sexual activity outside of the above parameters could constitute abuse.
However, as you’re well aware, many children have their trust violated much earlier than as pre-teens or teens and by their peers. Any of the following may qualify as child sexual abuse in our state:
- Inappropriate touching or fondling
- Indecent exposure
- Creation of pornographic material
- Oral sexual contact
- Rape
Meet Our Attorneys
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540Guy D’Andrea
Guy D’AndreaAreas of Practice
- Boarding School Abuse Cases
- Bullying & Hazing Cases
- Clergy Abuse Cases
- Personal Injury
- School Abuse Cases
- Sexual Assault
- Shooting, Homicide & Assault Cases
- Victims of Crime
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541Stewart Ryan
Stewart Ryan -
1540Alexandria MacMaster
Alexandria MacMasterAreas of Practice
- Boarding School Abuse Cases
- Bullying & Hazing Cases
- Civil Rights
- Clergy Abuse Cases
- Defamation
- Federal Cases Under Title IX
- Personal Injury
- School Abuse Cases
- Sexual Assault
- Shooting, Homicide & Assault Cases
- Victims of Crime
- Victims of Human Trafficking Cases
- Wrongful Death Cases
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1538Michael McFarland
Michael McFarlandAreas of Practice
- Boarding School Abuse Cases
- Bullying & Hazing Cases
- Clergy Abuse Cases
- Personal Injury
- School Abuse Cases
- Sexual Assault
- Shooting, Homicide & Assault Cases
- Victims of Crime
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13314Ragha Narasimhan
Ragha NarasimhanAreas of Practice
- Boarding School Abuse Cases
- Bullying & Hazing Cases
- Clergy Abuse Cases
- Personal Injury
- School Abuse Cases
- Sexual Assault
- Victims of Crime
Where Can Sexual Abuse Happen?
In our years of experience handling these cases, each Philadelphia child sexual abuse attorney on our team has handled cases where children have been taken advantage of in the following environments:
- Daycares, schools, and universities
- Group homes and foster homes
- Churches and at other religious centers
- Juvenile detention centers
- Private homes
- Recreation centers
Sexual abuse of children is all too common when youth are participating in extracurricular activities like music lessons, gymnastics and other sports, summer camp, etc.
Lasting Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Child sex abuse does not happen in a vacuum, meaning it’s something that just happens and a victim gets over it soon thereafter. Instead, it’s something that leaves a lasting impression on victims, specifically in terms of behavioral and emotional impacts such as the following, that they may require long-term treatment for:
- Distrust of others
- Sudden shifts in mood
- Anxiety
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Panic attacks
While mental health treatment can assist with many of the aforementioned ill effects tied to abuse, it may never completely erase the memory or fully restore the child to the person they could have been had they not been subjected to the inappropriate treatment.
Rights Child Sexual Abuse Victims Have in Philadelphia
Like any other crime or personal injury victims, Pennsylvania law affords youth abused by others the right to file a lawsuit to recover compensation for damages from all responsible parties.
At the same time, the responsibility rests on the shoulders of victims like you to put forward a successful claim that proves negligence and connects a violation or breach of duty to your losses.
This is where it can be helpful to have an attorney aid you in building a sound case for liability. When you work with a sexual assault attorney in Philadelphia like ours, we’ll make sure we pursue every possible liable party to ensure you receive all the compensation you’re entitled to, such as:
- Medical bills, which can go to paying for therapy costs
- Lost wages if the abuse you endured affected your ability to work
- Non-economic damages, such as loss of enjoyment of life
Children should be safe to participate in sports without fear of being abused. Unfortunately, we live in a world where dangerous predators gravitate towards these programs to access victims. Children need a strong protector.
Jeffrey Laffey, Founding Partner
Contact a Philadelphia Child Sexual Abuse Lawyer for a Free, Confidential Consultation
Each year, we assist countless individuals who come to us ready to hold the person who sexually abused them and the parties that allowed that inappropriate treatment to occur accountable for their actions. We want to help you do the same.
Here in Pennsylvania, anyone who faced sexual abuse as a child has at least until the day they turn 20 to file a lawsuit against any parties liable for what happened. However, some exceptions to this rule do exist, which is why you will want to discuss what happened to you with a Philadelphia child sexual abuse lawyer to understand what the statute of limitations is in your particular case.
Consultations are free, and we don’t charge any fees to represent you unless we secure a settlement on your behalf. Consider getting in touch with our law office, Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan, today. We’re ready to help.
Primary Office
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1100 Ludlow Street, Suite 300
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
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