March 11th, 2009 11:59 pm
Statutes of limitation are really perpetrator protection statutes. Filing a civil lawsuit is the only way to publicly name an abuser after criminal prosecutions are no longer possible. In California, 300 additional molesters were identified after window legislation passed there.
Children will be safer and past victims will have access to justice if this legislation passes. Three, seven, ten years to come forward is utterly unrealistic. Most survivors do so at the earliest in their mid-40's because of intense shame and trauma. It is past time to stop shutting the courtroom door in their faces.
Entities that covered up abuse and failed to report crimes must be held accountable. And bankruptcies filed by other Catholic dioceses were really last minute measures to avoid trials where documents would be released in open court.
Settlements will be paid anyhow. The pattern though has been to pay whatever is necessary to keep bishops off the stand under oath. The evidence is that incriminating.
Why should religious leaders be rewarded for their ability to keep the secrets until after liability expired? Survivors deserve their chance to learn the truth.
Carolyn Disco, Merrimack NH
