Pennsylvania Sexual Assault Victim Attorneys

Organizations abound to help victims of sexual assault in PA. One of the most prominent is a group called Pennsylvania Coalition against Rape (PCAR). This group was founded in 1978 and maintains over 50 crisis centers across Pennsylvania. PCAR offers a broad range of services, including Public Awareness Campaigns, an in-house policy shop, and a diverse resource library.

The state requires that violent sexual crimes be reported and tallied according to the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting System (PAUCRS). Some victim advocates contend that the PAUCRS statistics in some ways downplay the problem of sexual assault in Pennsylvania because they don't include, for instance, statutory rape and non-consensual sex crimes that don't involve physical compulsion (E.g. "Date Rape").

Sexual assault crimes are codified under the Pennsylvania Crimes Codes.

Despite progress both at state and federal levels in terms of educating the populous about violent crimes, sexual assault remains a serious and endemic societal problem. According to a 1990 study, one out of every four girls and one out of every six boys will experience sexual assault of some nature prior to turning 18. If you come from a home in which rape, incest, or other sexual abuse was practiced, you're nearly five times more likely to be raped than the average person is. The vast majority of rape victims claim to have known their attacker before the crime was committed. Teens between the ages of 16 and 19, in particular, are at risk for sexual assault--they are three or four times more likely than the average citizen to be sexually assaulted, in fact.

In terms of seeking compensation for a sexual assault, other factors to consider are whether the assault took place by an employee who was in the course of employment when the assault occurred. For example, cruise lines have been held responsible for sexual assaults on ships, the clergy have been held accountable and sued for damages for child abuse, and other employers who hired people without checking their criminal records have been held accountable for harm caused by these individuals. You should consult a Pennsylvania sex crime victim attorney to determine whether you have rights to hold parties other than the one committing the assault responsible for their negligent hiring or supervision.

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