HARRISBURG –(PA)
Johnstown Tribune Democrat
October 24, 2018
By John Finnerty
About 50 childhood sex abuse victims and their supporters came to the Capitol on Wednesday to call on the state Senate to return and vote on legislation that would allow for civil lawsuits in cases in which the statute of limitations has expired.
“Where are they?” asked Jennifer Storm, the Pennsylvania’s victim advocate. “They’re at home campaigning for your vote and we’re here.”
The General Assembly ended its fall voting session last week without the Senate taking up a version of Senate Bill 261 that had been amended in the House to include a two-year window for lawsuits against child molesters and institutions, like the Catholic Church, that had covered-up their crimes.
The issue emerged as the dominant political issue at the Capitol after a statewide grand jury report found that 300 predator priests had molested at least 1,000 victims over decades. That report included a number of recommendations for legislative change, including the move to open a two-year window.
Senate Republicans, led by Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati, have opposed the move to open that lawsuit window, saying it would be unconstitutional.
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.