No Day in Court for Victims of Sexual Abuse

Daily Times
October 28, 2016

http://www.delcotimes.com/opinion/20161028/editorial-no-day-in-court-for-victims-of-sexual-abuse

Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, speaks to protesters at rally for House Bill 1947 held in September outside the offices of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Rozzi says he will make another push to get the bill enacted into law in the new year. Digital First Media File Image

Back in the spring, state Rep. Nick Miccarelli, Jamie Santora and others in the Delco delegation stuck their neck out.

The Republicans did something a lot of people thought would never happen in Harrisburg. They passed House Bill 1947.

Like their colleagues across the state, the local representatives were outraged over the latest grand jury report on child sexual abuse, this time in the Altoona-Johnstown diocese, which showed the exact same kind of abuse and cover-ups that had been pointed out a decade ago here in the Philadelphia Archdiocese.

They decided to send a message, joining a bipartisan wave that passed the measure by an 180-15.

Not only did they send a message, they also got one in return.

Not everyone was a fan of House Bill 1947. The measure would have eliminated the statute of limitations on criminal charges in child abuse cases, and extend the window that victims have to bring civil actions against their abusers and the institutions that may have shielded them in future cases. But it also contained a most controversial amendment sponsored by state Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Democrat from Berks County.

Rozzi, himself a victim of childhood sexual abuse by a priest, included language that would make the bill retroactive, opening a window for victims from as far back as the ‘70s to come forward now and sue their abusers.

Opponents of the bill, including the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the National Catholic Conference and the insurance industry. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput wrote a letter that was read or delivered to every parish in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. Chaput railed against the measure as no less than an attack on the church , warning of dire consequences including possible parish and school closings as well as trouble for the church’s social work. He also urged parishioners to contact their local legislators and urge them to vote against the bill.

It worked. First, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on whether the controversial retroactive language would pass constitutional muster. Then Solicitor General Bruce Castor offered his opinion that it would not. Others disagreed. Newly installed Attorney General Bruce Beemer was among those who said 1947 would withstand legal challenges.

Eventually, the bill passed the Senate, but not before the controversial retroactive language was stripped out.

That sent it back to the House to take up the Senate-amended version of the bill. And that’s where it died this week, never even making to the House floor for a vote.

It turns out Miccarelli, Santora and others who backed the bill took their stand for nothing.

Miccarelli in particular might be smarting. He had his name casually dropped into his parish bulletin as a “reminder “ that he had supported the bill.

For his part, Rozzi saw money and power at work as usual in Harrisburg. He blamed leadership for failing to even bring the bill up for a new vote. And, of course, he also mentioned the 39 lobbyists who were advocating against the legislation.

In the meantime, some valuable progress in how future child abuse cases would be handled has been squandered. When the amended law failed to make it back to the House floor for a vote, those breakthroughs on the criminal statute of limitations as well as a longer window for civil actions in future cases went with it.

Rozzi is vowing the issue is not going away, and that he will be back in the new session in the new year ready to do battle again.

But before closing the book on this chapter, he offered a few parting shots at opponents of the bill.

“It became quite apparent to me they were content to stand there and protect pedophiles and the institutions that protect them,” Rozzi said. “House Bill 1947 was abandoned, like victims have been for years.”

The Academy Award-winning movie “Spotlight” detailed the problems with child sexual abuse in the Boston Archdiocese, brought to light by the dogged work of an investigative team at the Boston Globe.

But the truth is this issue is not limited to the Catholic church. It is present in every facet of society, public and private.

Local representatives put themselves in the “Spotlight,” taking a stand against abuse and siding with the victims of sexual predators.

The truth is none of them likely relished having to take another vote on this controversial bill a little more than a week before asking voters for their support. Maybe that’s why leaders in Harrisburg decided to take a pass on bringing the measure back up for a vote.

For now the “Spotlight” has gone out.

Victims of child sexual abuse in Pennsylvania are once again in the dark, waiting for their day in court.