Child Abuse
Cases involving alleged abuse of children fall under the Endangering Welfare of Children statute in Pennsylvania. Under this law, it is a crime when:
- A parent, guardian or other person supervising the welfare of a child under 18 years of age, or a person that employs or supervises such a person, commits an offense if he knowingly endangers the welfare of the child by violating a duty of care, protection or support.
- A person commits an offense if the person, in an official capacity, prevents or interferes with the making of a report of suspected child abuse under 23 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63 (relating to child protective services).
- As used in this subsection, the term “person supervising the welfare of a child” means a person other than a parent or guardian that provides care, education, training or control of a child.
An offense under this chapter is usually graded as a misdemeanor of the first degree (M1) unless there is a course of conduct of endangerment. If there is a course of conduct alleged, the charge may be graded as a felony of the third degree (F3).
If you have been charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child, we can help. Contact our office today for your free consultation.
Disclaimer
The information contained herein is dedicated to providing public information regarding Family Law issues in Pennsylvania. None of the information on this site is intended to be formal legal advice, nor the formation of attorney client relationship. Please contact our law firm for information regarding your particular case. This website is not intended to solicit clients outside the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.