HARRISBURG (PA)
The Morning Call
By Martha Raffaele
Of The Associated Press
HARRISBURG | Several reforms recommended by a grand jury that investigated alleged sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Philadelphia have emerged in bills introduced recently in the state Legislature.
The House Judiciary Committee discussed but did not vote Tuesday on any of the six bills introduced the day before, including measures that would lift the statute of limitations on criminal charges of sexual assault against children — currently a victim's 30th birthday — and allow unincorporated associations to be subject to criminal prosecution just as corporations are.
Rep. Dennis O'Brien, R-Philadelphia, the committee's chairman, said he hoped the bills would be sent to the full House in time for a vote before the Christmas break.
The grand jury report released in September documented assaults on minors by more than 60 priests since 1967 and alleged that church leaders covered up the abuse. However, the panel said it could not bring criminal charges against the church or its priests, citing constraints in state law.