PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive
By Ivey DeJesus | idejesus@pennlive.com
Michele Gonsman hasn’t had the chance to take to court the man who sexually abused her when she was a child.
The statute of limitations on the crime had expired by the time she was ready to come forth.
Gonsman hasn’t given up hope of getting justice. On Monday — just two hours before the Pennsylvania House of Representative was scheduled to hold a hearing on a bill that would reform the law — she joined scores other victims of child sexual abuse and sex crimes to push for its passage.
Gonsman said the issue of reforming the law is not an issue of the Catholic Church— a grand jury report concluding that priests in the Altoona-Johnstown diocese abused hundreds of children is an impetus for the bill — but one that affects thousands of other victims across the county. Gonsman was abused by a neighbor.
“They have no idea how many people they are impacting,” she said.
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.