PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Catholic Philly
August 31, 2018
By Matthew Gambino
The Catholic dioceses of Pennsylvania should set up a fund to compensate survivors of clergy sexual abuse in lieu of the legislature lifting the statutes of limitation on civil lawsuits on abuse, according to the Republican leader of the state Senate.
State Sen. Joseph B. Scarnati, president pro tem of the Senate, said in a statement Aug. 29 that a proposed retroactive window on civil lawsuits now time-barred under state law because the claims are beyond the statute of limitations is likely to be found unconstitutional in Pennsylvania.
The “remedies clause” in the state constitution prohibits a retroactive change to civil and criminal statute of limitations, according to Scarnati. While he supports a constitutional amendment to change the statutes, he said “it is an extended process and has no absolute certainty” of succeeding.
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