PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call
It’s a crime that strikes the young and the innocent. It’s a crime that I have prosecuted too often, and not often enough. Childhood sexual abuse is horrifically common, yet many times the crime goes unreported for years – even decades – after the crime is committed. Sometimes it’s never reported at all.
For the past eight months, childhood sexual abuse has made front-page national news on a daily basis because of the tragedy brought to light at our Penn State University.
Thousands of stories have been written and reported about the events in State College, but there are thousands more stories across our commonwealth that walk our streets, pass us by each day.
Stories of the victims, afraid and embarrassed.
Stories of the abusers, walking free, unafraid to harm again.
Stories of communities, unconvinced, unaffected — not taking notice.
If anything positive can be gleaned from the catastrophe in Centre County, it’s that a much brighter light has been shone on this all-too-common, all-too-silent crime.
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