March 15, 2006

Sex Abuse Victims, Activists, Flood Massachusetts Committee with Testimony

BOSTON (MA)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

By Gintautus Dumcius
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, MARCH 14, 2006

Flanked by abuse victims holding pictures of sons and daughters and of themselves, legislators and activists seeking to reform state sexual abuse laws today urged lawmakers to pass bills extending the civil and criminal statutes of limitations and lifting immunity protections afforded to charitable organizations.

Members of The Coalition to Reform Sexual Abuse Laws Tuesday decried the
"justice gap" created by the current system that they say aids pedophiles
and their enablers. They held a press conference outside the gates of the
State House, before packing the Joint Judiciary Committee to testify.

By the time some survivors are ready to come out and admit they were
sexually abused, "the clock has stopped ticking," said Jetta Bernier,
executive director of the Massachusetts Citizens for Children. "The vast
majority of survivors will never be able to bring their abusers to justice."

Posted by kshaw at March 15, 2006 11:04 AM