Pa. Cons. Stat. » 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. (JUDICIARY) / Chapter 59

42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5988

 Victims of sexual or physical abuse.

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§ 5988.  Victims of sexual or physical abuse.

(a)  Release of name prohibited.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, in a prosecution involving a minor victim of sexual or physical abuse, the name of the minor victim shall not be disclosed by officers or employees of the court to the public, and any records revealing the name of the minor victim shall not be open to public inspection.

(a.1)  Application of section.--The provisions of this section shall apply to a prosecution involving a minor victim regardless of the date of the commencement of the prosecution.

(a.2)  Waiver.--A minor victim who is 18 years of age or older at the time of the commencement of the prosecution may waive the provisions of this section and allow the court to release the name of the minor victim. The court shall develop procedures to implement the provisions of this subsection.

(b)  Penalty.--Any person who violates this section commits a misdemeanor of the third degree.

(July 15, 2004, P.L.736, No.87, eff. imd.; Dec. 18, 2013, P.L.1181, No.109, eff. 60 days)

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 15 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1998–2025 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Strafford
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Commonwealth v. Strafford (2018) pasuperct · cites it 3× “" See generally 42 Pa.C.S. §5988. 5 Through this motion the prosecution requested the court allow the testimonial appearance of the eight (8) year old complainant via the contemporaneous, alternative method of close circuit television.”
Commonwealth v. Chambers (2009) pa · cites it 2× “NOTES [1] Consistent with 42 Pa.C.S. § 5988, we avoid revealing the names of the children in cases where physical assault or abuse is implicated.”
Commonwealth v. McCauley (2018) pasuperct “§ 2902(b)(2) ; 18 Pa.C.S. § 3126(a)(7) ; 18 Pa.”
Commonwealth v. Upshur (2007) pa · cites it 2× “[2] See 42 Pa.C.S. § 5988 (prohibiting the courts from releasing the name of a juvenile victim of physical or sexual abuse).”
Commonwealth v. Washington (1998) pa “42 Pa.C.S. § 5988 prohibits revealing the names of child sexual assault victims in documents available to the public.”
Com. v. Bain, K. (2025) pasuperct · cites it 2× “42 Pa.C.S. § 5988(a), (a.1). We direct that the certified record, trial court opinion, and appellant’s brief be sealed.”
Com. v. Washington (1998) pa “NOTES [1] 42 Pa.C.S. § 5988 prohibits revealing the names of child sexual assault victims in documents available to the public.”
In Re: Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Case Records of the Appellate and Trial Court (2017) pa “Records 42 Pa.C.S. § 5988. physical abuse. revealing a victim's name are sealed.”
Com. v. Lellock, R. (2017) pasuperct “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 5988(a). J-S49008-17 The relevant facts, as summarized by this Court in a prior appeal, are as follows: The evidence presented at trial established that Arthur Rooney Middle School, located on the North Side of the City of Pittsburgh, opened for the 1998-1999…”
Com. v. Regusters, C. (2017) pasuperct “Not only do we disapprove of this practice, but it is also contrary to 42 Pa.C.S. § 5988, which makes it a criminal offense for an officer or employee of the court to reveal the name of a minor victim of sexual abuse in documents available to the public.”
Com. v. Owen, M. (2019) pasuperct “7Pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. § 5988, the minor victim’s name may not be disclosed.”
Com. v. Coates, W. (2019) pasuperct “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 5988(a) (“[I]n a prosecution involving a minor victim of sexual or physical abuse, the name of the minor victim shall ____________________________________ * Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.”
Show all 15 citing cases →
— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5988(a) — 6 cases
Com. v. Bain, K. (2025) pasuperct “42 Pa.C.S. § 5988(a), (a.1). We direct that the certified record, trial court opinion, and appellant’s brief be sealed.”
Com. v. Lellock, R. (2017) pasuperct “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 5988(a). J-S49008-17 The relevant facts, as summarized by this Court in a prior appeal, are as follows: The evidence presented at trial established that Arthur Rooney Middle School, located on the North Side of the City of Pittsburgh, opened for the 1998-1999…”
Com. v. Coates, W. (2019) pasuperct “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 5988(a) (“[I]n a prosecution involving a minor victim of sexual or physical abuse, the name of the minor victim shall ____________________________________ * Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.”
Com. v. Shamberger, G. (2025) pasuperct
Com. v. Martinez Morales, M. (2025) pasuperct
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