Victims of Priest Child Sex Abuse Call for Stronger Measures from Lawmakers

By Woody Gottburg
KSCJ
May 22, 2019

http://kscj.com/2019/05/22/victims-of-priest-child-sex-abuse-call-for-stronger-measures-from-lawmakers/


A Sioux City man who says he was abused by priests joined the Iowa Senate’s Democratic leader today (Wednesday) in calling on Iowa lawmakers to do more for victims of child sex abuse.

Tim Lennon, who grew up in Sioux City, says he was 43 years old when he first remembered being molested by the priest in his childhood church.

Lennon, who now lives in Arizona, is a national leader in the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

He plans to hold a news conference outside the Sioux City Diocese office tomorrow (Thursday) morning.

Lennon says the Catholic Church should release the names of bishops, nuns and others involved in the church who are accused of sex abuse.

Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, says the state’s attorney general should investigate the Catholic Church.

Petersen says Iowa’s criminal and civil laws for child sex abuse cases are the most restrictive in the nation.

Petersen says the period to file criminal charges is too short.

Child sex abuse victims in Iowa have until they’re 33 years old to file a civil lawsuit.