COLUMBUS (OH)
The Plain Dealer
Friday, December 16, 2005
Julie Carr Smyth
Plain Dealer Bureau
Columbus - Giving victims of priest sex abuse a new opportunity to file lawsuits would jeopardize the positive work of the church, violate the Constitution, and undermine "the stability and finality of law," a Catholic bishop testified Thursday.
Amid intense questioning by the Ohio House Judiciary Committee, Bishop Frederick Campbell of the Diocese of Columbus also conceded that church leaders are worried about the financial ramifications of the sex-abuse proposal.
The bill, sponsored by State Sen. Bob Spada, a North Royalton Republican, requires immediate reporting by church leaders of all denominations of sexual acts against children. It also allows abuse victims a year to file for civil damages in cases from up to 35 years ago, and extends the statute of limitations on future cases to 20 years.