MINNESOTA
Northland’s News Center
February 16, 2013
Duluth, MN (NNCNOW.COM) – A group of Minnesota lawmakers wants to make sure people who sexually abuse children are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
It’s called the “Minnesota Child Victims Act” and it would give young victims more time to come to terms with what happened to them and gain the strength to take their offenders to court.
“Gradually, through therapy, I began to realize that this wasn’t my fault. I was a kid,” said David Samarzia.
When Samarzia was ten years old he was sexually abused by the pastor in his Duluth church. Like many children, he didn’t tell anyone until many years later.
Jeff Anderson, a nationally known clergy sex abuse attorney in Minnesota, says that situation is all too common.
“The witnesses to the crimes often are children,” Anderson said, “They suffer in silence. They suffer in secrecy and shame and they aren’t able to report it.”
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