Berks County State Rep. Responds to Clergy Sexual Abuse Compensation

By Tom Rader
WFMZ TV 69
December 27, 2019

https://bitly.com/2snOWFhttps:/www.wfmz.com/news/area/berks/berks-county-state-rep-responds-to-clergy-sexual-abuse-compensation/article_d4c6ad24-28a6-11ea-8500-fb1c07bc7019.html

Victims of clergy sexual abuse are receiving millions in compensation following a shocking grand jury report released in August of 2018.

"It never is far from your mind knowing that there's victims out there," state Rep. Mark Rozzi said. "They're struggling and they need justice now."

Rozzi, who represents part of Berks County, is himself a survivor of clergy sex abuse. He touted the $84 million that's been paid to 564 victims, but he also said more needs to be done.

"We're still working on the constitutional amendment, House Bill 963, which is gonna take that two consecutive legislative sessions to get that to apply to the referendum and hopefully we get that passed into law in 2021," he said.

Rozzi said that amendment is key to helping victims get justice that goes beyond the grand jury report.

"We're eliminating the criminal statutes of limitations, which it's currently age 50," Rozzi said. "We're completely abolishing that, but to put it in perspective for people, most of the Catholic clergy victims that were in these grand jury reports, they only had five years to report."

In addition to the 564 victims that have already received compensation, there is still a large amount of claims expected to be filed in 2020. Rozzi said that regardless of the money received, it does not make living with the abuse experienced any easier.

"The one thing we know about this type of abuse is that it never goes away and you constantly struggle and struggle throughout your entire life with it," Rozzi said.

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MORE INFORMATION

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Rep. Mark Rozzi Diocese Of Allentown

Tom Rader

Tom Rader

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