UNITED STATES
North Country Public Radio
by Brian Mann (Adirondack Bureau Chief) , in Westport, NY
Jun 30, 2016 — There is a growing effort around the country to make it easier to prosecute or bring civil lawsuits against people who sexually abuse children. Many states have already extended or eliminated the statute of limitations for reporting sex crimes against kids.
But the push to punish pedophiles has met fierce opposition from Roman Catholic organizations, who say they could be unfairly targeted and their institutions could be bankrupted.
How to punish adults who prey on kids?
These proposed laws, don’t just target pedophile priests. Bridie Farrell is Roman Catholic and former top speedskater. She says it was a coach, not a priest, who sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager in Saratoga County. “It happened at his house, in his car, in his hotel room. He knew the power that he had over me,” she said.
Farrell, who lives now in New York City, did what a lot of children do when they’re molested, kept silent for nearly two decades. “It was 18 years later when I was 31 that I came forward and publicly told anyone this story,” she said.
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