A Philadelphia judge has ruled there is no civil cause of action for endangering the welfare of a child, tossing the claim from nine sex-abuse suits filed against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and several Roman Catholic priests, clergymen and schools.
In Doe 203 v. Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Frederica A. Massiah-Jackson granted the defendants' preliminary objections with regard to the plaintiff's claim that the criminal statute, 18 Pa.C.S. § 4304, implies a civil cause of action for endangering the welfare of a child.
