EAST LONGMEADOW (MA)
Republican
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
By BILL ZAJAC
wzajac@repub.com
EAST LONGMEADOW - A newly organized affiliate of the Voice of the Faithful in East Longmeadow plans to push for passage of legislation that would eliminate the statute of limitations on sex crimes against minors.
"We don't want to focus on meetings, but activities. We want to be active," said John M. Bowen, a Longmeadow resident and a parishioner of St. Michael Parish in East Longmeadow.
Bowen, one of about six core organizers of the new affiliate, said the group will concentrate on one issue at a time.
"We don't want to try to do too much and spread ourselves thin. What we do we want to do well," Bowen said.
The Massachusetts Legislature is considering a bill that would eliminate the 15-year statute of limitations. It would not be retroactive.
However, if the bill becomes law, it means that sex crimes against children that go back no more than 15 years from the date the bill becomes law would be prosecutable forever.
Posted by kshaw at May 11, 2005 08:24 AM