MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Posted by Barbara Dorris on January 04, 2013
Getting rid of the criminal statute of limitations is a good start, but the civil statute should be gotten rid of too.
Victims themselves have the greatest knowledge of the crimes and the greatest incentives to prevent more of them. So archaic, predator-friendly laws that keep victims from exposing criminals in civil court should also be revoked.
Criminal cases involve overburdened and underfunded police and prosecutors. They also require a higher burden of proof. And many times, if a child has been hurt by an authority figure, he or she is reluctant to trust other authority figures. So many child molesters are never caught or charged.
That’s another reason why it’s important to enable more victims to seek justice in civil courts. Kids are safest when predators are locked up. But when that can’t happen, it’s also helpful to publicly expose those who commit or conceal child sex crimes.
Regarding changes in mandatory reporting laws, we aren’t optimistic.
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