Lebanon County Clergy Abuse Survivor Rights

If you experienced clergy sexual abuse in Lebanon County, you may be weighing whether to report what happened, seek support, or learn about a civil claim. You can contact a confidential support organization without deciding whether to report or sue. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

Support and reporting options in Lebanon County

• Sexual Assault Resource and Counseling Center of Lebanon County (SARCC): SARCC offers support and counseling to survivors of sexual violence. Its hotline is 717-272-5308; the county’s District Attorney resource page lists SARCC among local support resources.
• Report suspected child abuse: Pennsylvania ChildLine accepts reports 24 hours a day at 1-800-932-0313 and online through the Child Welfare Information Solution. Lebanon County Children and Youth Services can be reached at 717-228-4430 during business hours. For an emergency, call 911.
• Diocese of Harrisburg: Lebanon County is within the Diocese of Harrisburg. The Diocese provides a separate Youth Protection and abuse-reporting page with victim-assistance information. A report to a church office does not replace a report to ChildLine or law enforcement.

Pennsylvania civil filing deadlines

Pennsylvania law generally gives a person whose civil claim arises from sexual abuse before age 18 up to 37 years after turning 18 to file an action for damages. A separate provision allows certain civil actions arising from sexual abuse when a person was at least 18 and under 24 to be filed until age 30, subject to the statute’s definitions and requirements. The details of a particular claim can depend on the conduct, when it occurred, and whom the claim is against.

These deadlines do not mean that every claim can be filed, and a report to an agency or religious organization does not itself start a lawsuit. Pennsylvania has not opened a general, retroactive filing window for claims that were already time-barred. Read the current text of 42 Pa.C.S. § 5533 and speak with a Pennsylvania attorney promptly about your own circumstances.

Lebanon County court filing resource

The Lebanon County Prothonotary’s Office is the county filing office for civil matters in the Court of Common Pleas. It is located in Room 104 of the Municipal Building, 400 South 8th Street, Lebanon, PA 17042, and can be reached at 717-228-4418. Contact the office for current filing procedures; it cannot determine whether a claim is timely or provide legal advice. The county’s Prothonotary page has office information.

Consider preserving information

If it feels safe, keep copies of records that may help you explain what happened, such as dates, locations, names of institutions, correspondence, or prior reports. You do not need to share those details publicly. Consider speaking with an attorney before contacting a potential defendant or posting identifying information online.

This page provides general information, not legal advice. Every survivor’s situation is different. Speaking with a lawyer does not require you to file a lawsuit.