A bill is making its way through the state legislature that could finally bring a small measure of justice to the untold numbers of people who have been victims of childhood sexual abuse. But now the question is, will that effort be threatened by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia?
By a wide margin, the state House approved a bill last month that would abolish a criminal statute of limitation for instances of child sex abuse, eliminating the time limit for when an abuser can be held criminally liable.
Currently, victims of childhood sex abuse who were born before Aug. 27, 2002, have until age 30 to file criminal charges; those born after that date have until age 50.
The proposed bill would also extend the time limit for when a victim can file a civil suit from age 30 to 50.
Imposing a time limit on this type of crime is incompatible with the realities of childhood sexual abuse. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, more than 40 percent of sex-abuse victims in the nation are under age 18 and more than 90 percent of them know their abuser, a dynamic that can instill added fear and guilt and lead many to internalize the effects of the abuse. The cloak of shame and secrecy may take years, even decades, to lift; the time it takes for that cycle to be broken shouldn’t protect abusers from prosecution.
However, that’s just what Archbishop Charles Chaput has argued for; at his previous diocese in Colorado, he fought against a bill similar to the one currently proposed in Pennsylvania. Earlier this week, the archdiocese held two mandatory meetings for archdiocesan priests to discuss proposed legislation, though the focus of those meetings is unknown.
It is possible that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia could mount a fight against this legislation; if passed, it could open up the archdiocese to litigation from victims of clerical sex abuse, which would doubtlessly deal the archdiocese another financial hit.
However, if Chaput, as he has said, wants to make real strides to stamp out sex abuse within the church, he would support this bill. This is a way to not only bring a measure of closure and justice to people whose lives have been drastically altered by abuse, but to root out people who could still be abusing young people.
We strongly support this bill and encourage readers to contact their state senators and urge them to vote in favor of HB 1947.