Court Decision Helps to Protect Children

By Phil Ray
Altoona Mirror
May 3, 2015

http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/610477/Attorney--Court-decision-helps-to-protect-children.html?nav=742

A Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision holding an official of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia criminally responsible for the sexual abuse of children even though he did not commit the abuse is an important step to protecting children from predators, an Altoona attorney said.

The decision not only applies to clergy or officials of a particular religion but extends responsibility to protect children to supervisors of day care centers, children's camps and schools, to give a few examples, Altoona attorney Richard M. Serbin said Friday.

He said the struggle to provide legal protection for children has been a long haul, but Serbin cited cases he has been involved with and other decisions as progress.

Serbin delved into the clergy sexual abuse issue as far back as 1988 when he represented a young man abused by an Altoona priest.

He won a civil lawsuit on behalf of the youngster that held Father Joseph Luddy and the Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese responsible for the abuse.

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