Illinois Bill to Open Window for Abuse Cases Opposed by Church, Sex, Priests, and Secret Codes [Illinois], April 3, 2007

Illinois Bill to Open Window for Abuse Cases Opposed by Church

Sex, Priests, and Secret Codes [Illinois]
April 3, 2007

http://www.clericalsexualabuse.com/2007/04/illinois_bill_t.html

The Catholic Church is taking on victims' rights advocates in Illinois. A bill in the state legislature would allow victims of clerical sexual abuse to file suit against their abuser even decades after the abuse allegedly occurred. Under the proposed legislation, victims would have a two-year window in which to bring cases forward. Advocates say that since many victims are quite young when abuse occurs, they may not be able to press charges or express their pain until years after the event — often long after the statute of limitations has expired.

A spokesman for the Catholic Conference of Illinois (CCI) said that if the bill becomes law it will open the flood gates to cases that happened years ago and which the Church had no knowledge of. The Chicago Sun Times explains that the church would prefer to see a measure that does more to protect children and help victims heal. As time goes by these cases become harder to argue, the CCI's spokesman explained, "Parishes close, priests die, people move on."

This bill, and similar pieces of legislation in other states, give victims the opportunity for justice as well as compensation. SNAP argues that:

We feel that kids are still left at risk and that the climate that allowed this abuse to fester for decades still exists. There are victims who still want their day in court.

At this time the bill is being reevaluated. One legislator, who calls himself a "devout Catholic," said that he wanted to find a solution that pleases the victims and church.