Lauren Book: Shame on senators for failing sexual abuse victims

By neglecting to vote on what should have been landmark legislation for victims of childhood sexual abuse, the Pennsylvania Senate failed its constituents — including the more than 1,000 children molested by Catholic priests since the 1940s.

Currently, the law bars legal claims for sexual abuse from those older than 30, which would prohibit recovery of damages for decades-old acts like many of those described by a state grand jury report on clergy abuse in Catholic dioceses. Considering the incredible number of victims and low reporting rate, the grand jury recommended a temporary suspension of the civil statute of limitations for two years. Unacceptably, legislators’ inability to act has left survivors to suffer without hope of seeing justice served.

Please click here to read Lauren Book’s op-ed about the Pennsylvania statute of limitations reform in it’s entirety.