Statute of limitations bill to get aired before state Senate committee

MEADVILLE (PA)
Meadville Tribune

September 28, 2019

By John Finnerty

Harrisburg – A Wednesday hearing will give adult survivors of child sex abuse their first chance in years to publicly confront members of the Senate and call for action on legislation that would open a window for civil lawsuits in cases where the existing statute of limitations has expired. The judiciary committee is expected to hear testimony from a small number of adult survivors, as well as from the state’s Victim Advocate, and other testifiers.

The Senate judiciary committee has not disclosed the slate of testifiers expected to appear at the hearing. But Pennsylvania’s Victim Advocate Jennifer Storm said she is scheduled to appear and she invited victims to contact her office to help her articulate the views of those affected by the state’s statute of limitations law.

Storm said she was contacted by more than 35 victims as she prepared her testimony. She said the group of victims was “highly diverse” and includes not just victims of priest abuse, but also those victimized by ministers from other denominations and faiths, scouting organizations, school teachers and relatives.

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