PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call
Bill White
Parishioner speaks out about bishop’s letter
I mentioned in Sunday’s column that I had heard from a woman who was dismayed at the letter inserted into her church bulletin two Sundays ago. Bishop John O. Barres was lobbying parishioners to contact their state legislators in opposition to bills that would extend the statute of limitations for child sex abuse cases.
She was not the only churchgoer I heard from about this. In fact, one of them wrote a letter to Barres and sent me a copy, hoping it could be published in some way.
It’s too long for a letter to the editor and kind of short for a Your View, so I agreed to use it here.
Before I get to it, I’ll remind you that the state House is expected to vote today on a bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations for criminal cases of child sex abuse and extend the age when civil suits can be filed from 30 years old to 50. A proposed amendment — a compromise with those who won’t accept a two-year window in which anyone can file a civil suit, even if they’re blocked by the statute of limitations at the time they were abused — would allow any victim to sue up until age 50.
This would give many more victims access to the courts to identify and expose their abusers, but it wouldn’t help older victims. As a practical matter, the compromise would affect 20 years worth of victims. Those who are older than the present age limi of, 30 would have until 50 to file suit under the amendment.
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