WHP580 Newsroom

WHP580 Newsroom

Top headlines from Central PA's Newsroom

 

Over 60 Additional Sexual Abuse Lawsuits At PA Juvenile Centers Filed

More than 60 new lawsuits alleging sexual abuse at Pennsylvania Juvenile and Residential Treatment Centers were filed on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases to over 200. The facilities named in these lawsuits include state-run centers such as the Loysville Youth Development Center, North Central Secure Treatment Unit, and South Mountain Secure Treatment Unit, as well as private facilities like VisionQuest in Philadelphia and Northwestern Academy in Montgomery County.

The New York-based law firm Levy Konigsberg filed the lawsuits on behalf of the victims, most of whom were children at the time of the alleged abuse. The allegations span over two decades, with some of the most recent cases of abuse reported as recently as 2022. Jerome Block, an attorney at Levy Konigsberg, stated that the majority of the cases come from state-run facilities in Pennsylvania. He also expressed concern that there have been no significant changes in protocols or oversight to suggest that this type of abuse has stopped at these facilities.

Block is now calling on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and the state Attorney General to investigate these alleged sexual assault cases at Pennsylvania juvenile detention centers. The Department of Human Services has yet to respond to the lawsuits.

The lawsuits allege that the victims were sexually abused by guards, counselors, and other staff members who were supposed to be protecting them. The plaintiffs accuse the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania of tolerating the abuse and failing to protect the children in its care.

This wave of lawsuits follows similar litigation pursued by Levy Konigsberg in Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, and Michigan.

Links

https://local21news.com/news/local/new-sexual-abuse-cases-filed-against-pa-juvenile-centers-totaling-over-200-lawsuits


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content