Sex Abuse Victims Rally outside Catholic Church in Norwich

By Greg Smith
The Day
November 3, 2018

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AbuseTrackerArchive/2018/11/#154530

It was a small group that stood outside the Cathedral of St. Patrick in quiet protest on Saturday with a shared hope their stories of sexual abuse at the hands of priests will have a broader statewide impact.

The rally was organized by the Connecticut Chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, SNAP, which is pushing for elimination of the statute of limitations on all sexual assault-related crimes.

The statute of limitations for sexual assault in Connecticut varies depending on the crime. While there is no limitation on serious felony sexual assaults, state law does bar criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits in certain cases of sexual abuse of a minor once the victim reaches the age of 48. It’s much shorter in other cases.

It can take decades for sexual assault victims to feel confident enough to come forward with their stories, said Lucy Nolan, director of policy and public relations with the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence.