BishopAccountability.org
	Advocacy Groups Slam Bishop on Sex-Abuse Bill By Eden Laikin Newsday November 2, 2007 http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-liprie1103,0,3942685.story?coll=ny_home_rail_headlines Members of two local advocacy groups have protested against Bishop William Murphy for using the pulpit to speak out against legislation that would give victims of childhood sexual abuse more time to file lawsuits and seek criminal prosecution. Despite the fact the bill has been stalled in the State Legislature for three years, the two groups said that during the annual Red Mass in Suffolk County — for members of the legal profession last month — Murphy questioned whether legislation that would extend the criminal and civil statutes of limitation was intended "to profit lawyers more than victims." The bill would extend the criminal statute in child sex abuse cases by five years, giving the victim until the age of 28 to report the crime to law enforcement. It would also open a one-year window for past victims to file civil lawsuits. Sean Dolan, a spokesman for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, said the legislation should protect children from harm, but doesn't. Dolan said Murphy backs extending the criminal but not the civil statute of limitations. Dolan called the bill "bad policy because it's impossible for any organization to defend itself against a claim arising from events 50, 60 and 70 years ago." Dolan added that a similar law passed in California in 2002 forced the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to pay close to $1 billion in settlements of hundreds of lawsuits. "The church was forced to settle these claims by selling church properties," he said. "If something like that happened here in New York, the effects would be catastrophic." At a demonstration Thursday night, about two dozen members of Voice of the Faithful — wearing red for solidarity and joined by members of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests — stood outside St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Garden City, distributing leaflets to parishioners that criticized Murphy for his opposition to the bill. "He was mixing church and state in a house of God," said Janique Polimine, 41, of Holbrook, who says she was abused by a priest in 1980 and has a pending civil lawsuit against the diocese. "It was difficult to digest." Dick Regan, 64, who said he and several siblings were abused by a priest in the 1950s in the Rockville Centre Diocese, asked of Murphy: "Is this the way Jesus Christ would respond?" Regan, who added that he drove six hours from his upstate New York home near Rochester to support the group, said "I think the bishop is a hypocrite." The legislation, introduced by Assemb. Marge Markey (D-Queens), has passed the Assembly. It has stalled in the Senate and was backed this year by state Sen. Stephen Saland (R-Poughkeepsie). Tim Echausse, director of SNAP on Long Island, said the legislation is needed and would cover all victims of sexual abuse. "It would bring healing to the past victims and protect, sadly, the future victims," he said.
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