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	Update: " Child Victims Act" Receives Committee Hearing WKOW January 13, 2010 http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11810847 MADISON (WKOW) -- A proposal by lawmakers could resurrect decades old cases of child sexual abuse. The debate has the new leader of Milwaukee's Catholic Church at odds with Milwaukee County's top law enforcement officer. "The process should be open for those who've suffered abuse to seek justice in the proper form," said Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, "That's what this bill would allow them to do." Archbishop Jerome Listecki put himself front and center in the debate involving child sexual abuse and began his testimony with an apology for the past actions of some priests. "This bill will have the effect of doing something everyone says they don't want it to do, that is targeting the catholic church," said Listecki during testimony. The archbishop opposes a bill that would temporarily lift the civil statute of limitations on old abuse cases, which he says opens the church up to the possibility of lawsuits that could run the risk of bankrupting the archdiocese. The 'Child Victims Act' as its called is modeled after successful laws in several other states. The lawmakers say it will hold offenders accountable for sexually assaulting children, regardless of when those assault took place. Update 1/12/10 at 10:14 PM ****************** MADISON (WKOW) -- New legislation would extend the time for sexual assault victims to speak out against the perpetrator. A State Senate committee heard landmark legislation aimed at protecting victims of sexual abuse by removing the civil statute of limitations in sex assault cases involving children. Introduced by State Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point), State Representatives Joe Parisi (D- Madison) and Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford), the "Child Victims Act" is modeled after successful legislation in several states that now holds offenders accountable for sexually assaulting children regardless of when those assaults were perpetrated. Under current state law, civil actions in childhood sexual abuse cases must be brought forward by victims before they reach the age of 35. The Child Victims Act will remove this arbitrary limitation that has shut the courthouse doors to many survivors of childhood sex abuse who haven't been able to deal with the attack until much later in their lives. The bill received a public hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee today. Seventy percent of reported sexual assaults in Wisconsin are perpetrated against juveniles; one in five American children fall victim to sexual abuse or exploitation by the age of 18. According to several leading mental health experts, most children who have been sexually abused are not able to speak about their attack until well into adulthood, if ever. With ninety percent of sexual abuse cases going unreported nationally, the perpetrators of these horrific crimes know that they can continue to prey on a new generation of victims without fear of prosecution. Lassa, Parisi and Suder said they introduced the legislation because ensuring survivors their day in court no matter how long it takes for them to confront their abuser is an important step to not only ease the victim's suffering, but to also help prevent sex crimes against children in the future. The Child Victims Act is supported by the National Association to Prevent Sexual Abuse of Children (NAPSAC), a group of survivors and advocates who have joined forces to bring comprehensive changes to sex offender laws around the country. Several leading victims' rights groups and sexual assault prevention experts have also endorsed the bill. The National District Attorneys Association recently endorsed similar legislation to eliminate the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse cases. The bill's sponsors anticipate continued bi-partisan support for the measure as it moves through the legislative process.
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