Victims of Pa. Pediatrician Who Sexually Abused Children Push for Reform of Statute of Limitations

By Ivey DeJesus
Patriot News
May 15, 2019

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/05/victims-of-convicted-predator-pediatrician-jack-barto-push-for-reform-of-statute-of-limitations.html

Former patients of convicted pediatrician, Dr. Johnnie Barto stand alongside state Sen. Katie Muth (D-Montgomery) to push for passage of Senate Bill 540, which would reform statute of limitations. Muth is standing second from the right in the front row.

In recent years, the debate over reform of the state’s statute of limitations has overwhelmingly been framed against the clergy sex abuse crisis.

On Wednesday about a dozen victims of convicted serial predator pediatrician Johnnie “Jack” Barto lent their voices to that effort.

In a press conference held at the Capitol Rotunda, the victims, along with state Sen. Katie Muth (D-Montgomery), reiterated long heard arguments for the reform of the state’s child sex crime laws. Muth is a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 540, which calls for broad reform, including elimination of criminal statutes and a two-year retroactive window to allow time-barred victims to file civil suits.

Muth vowed to work across the aisle in the Senate to engender support for the bill, which currently has 18 co-sponsors. The freshman senator said victims of all ages need and deserve the protection of the law, adding that her bill would provide victims a choice between pathways to healing, including lawsuits.

“We are failing,” Muth said. “We are failing to give victims a reason to come forward.”

Attorney General Josh Shapiro who led the grand jury investigation into the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania as well as prosecuted Barto, has endorsed SB 540.

Shapiro last year released a scathing grand jury report detailing the horrific and widespread sexual abuse of thousands of minors over seven decades by hundreds of priests in six Catholic dioceses, including Harrisburg. Nearly identical patterns of abuse were previously found several years ago in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by a local grand jury investigation.

Over the years, victims of predatory priests have largely led the charge to reform the state child sex crimes. But on Wednesday, about half a dozen women who as children were sexually molested by Barto lent their voices to the effort, sharing personal narratives about their abuse. All stand behind SB540.

Sara Neelan, one of the victims, noted the importance of their voices. She said the effort to reform laws did not belong to victims of clergy sex abuse alone.

“People automatically assume it has to do with the Catholic Church,” Neelan said, citing Barto and the Jerry Sandusky scandal out of Penn State. “People need to think a little broader. I hope this case will bring that to life.”

Amanda Dorich, a teacher who testified at Barto’s March sentencing, said the chance to speak in court had been a “life changing” experience. She said that Pennsylvania’s failure over the years to reform the statute of limitations shows the state continues to regard predators in a higher esteem than children.

Brooke Rush, who is also time barred from filing suits against Barto, noted that “at the age of 43 my voice doesn’t matter.”

“The laws need to change,” she said.

In March, Barto, 71, was convicted of 69 counts of aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, and endangering the welfare of children. He was sentenced to up to 158 years in prison.

Also on Wednesday, Barto victims filed a lawsuit against Barto and his health networks, Conemaugh Health Systems and Laurel Pediatrics. It’s the first lawsuit filed since his conviction. The lawsuit claims that the medical entities were aware of the abuse but kept the pediatrician on their staff.

Senate Bill 540 is one of three active proposals seeking to reform the statute of limitations.

In April the House overwhelmingly approved two companion bills that respectively call for the elimination of criminal statute of limitations involving child sex crimes; and call for a constitutional amendment that would lead to a revival of expired statute of limitations.

The pair of House bills have in some cases polarized some victims, some of whom fear splitting the issues spelled out in the bills weaken the effort to usher through a retroactive window and set up for potential failure of the constitutional amendment.

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, has generally signaled willingness to consider the bills. The Legislature is not in session.

“I remain optimistic that Senator Scarnati will do the right thing and bring the bill to a vote,” Muth said. “I believe it has the votes. I’m hopeful for a hearing soon. A hearing would be a step in the right direction.”

She characterized her Senate bill as being a “very different bill” as it includes all four recommendations handed down the the grand jury. She noted that a growing number of states have installed retroactive windows and have not seen legal challenges.