Rep. Mark Rozzi Pushes for Statute of Limitations Reform for Clergy Abuse Cases

WFMZ
September 20, 2016

http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-regional-berks/rep-mark-rozzi-pushes-for-statute-of-limitations-reform-for-clergy-abuse-cases/41750794

A Berks County lawmaker said Tuesday that victims of clergy abuse should be able to seek justice at any age. Pennsylvania Rep. Mark Rozzi, a victim of child sexual abuse by a priest, joined several other victims and child abuse experts at a conference of the National Center for Victims of Crime in Philadelphia. Rozzi has been making headlines as of late after talking about his own experience. He revealed to 69 News last week that he was called to testify before a grand jury about clergy abuse within the Diocese of Allentown, which includes the five-county region of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill.

The Pennsylvania dioceses of Greensburg, Erie, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton are also part of the state probe. Rozzi is pushing for Pennsylvania legislators to pass a bill that changes the statute of limitations. "The statute of limitations hurts no one but victims, and it helps no one but perpetrators, and I think it's no coincidence that we look at states that have the biggest scandals. They're the ones with the most restrictive statutes of limitations," said Jeff Dion, director of the National Crime Victim Bar Association. The proposed bill has a retroactive component. Rozzi said he wants to get it to Gov. Tom Wolf's desk by the end of the legislative session.