PENNSYLVANIA
Reading Eagle
By Liam Migdail-Smith
The state House broke into applause Tuesday as lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a proposal to give victims of child sex abuse more time to come forward.
The House approved a bill that revamps the statutes of limitation for child sex abuse victims. The 180-15 vote marks a victory for victims and their advocates who have long pushed for the legislation.
“Today we’ve given them a little bit of hope,” said state Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Muhlenberg Township Democrat who has spearheaded the reform effort. “Justice has been denied for a long time. But my message to victims is justice is right around the corner.”
The plan would eliminate the age limit for victims to pursue criminal charges and give victims until age 50 to bring civil cases against their alleged abusers and the organizations that shield them. The limit now is age 30 for civil cases and age 50 for criminal cases.
The change for civil cases would be retroactive, allowing victims now older than 30 to file suits until they reach age 50.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.