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	Bishops Urge Opposition to Elimination of Statute of Limitations By Roberta Tuttle Catholic Transcript April 9, 2010 http://www.catholictranscript.org/component/content/article/1-latest/1372-bishops-urging-opposition-to-elimination-of-statute-of-limitations.html HARTFORD – Connecticut's Catholic bishops are urging Catholics and others to speak out against a bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits in cases of sexual abuse. Archbishop Henry J. Mansell of Hartford, Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport and Bishop Michael R. Cote of Norwich sent notices to all pastors on April 8, requesting their help in mounting a campaign opposing House Bill 5473, which would make Connecticut the only state without a statute of limitations for the filing of sexual abuse claims concerning minors. "The passage of this legislation could potentially have a devastating financial effect on the Catholic dioceses of Connecticut, including parish assets and those of other Catholic service organizations. We all realize the serious nature of these crimes. However, the passage of this law could result in claims that are 50, 60 or 70 years old, which are impossible to adequately defend in court," the letter to pastors said. (To read the letter to pastors, click here.) In a letter to parishioners and friends that will be distributed in churches April 10 and 11, the bishops say that the proposed bill, which "also targets the Catholic Church across the state and has potentially disastrous fallout for all of us," could be voted on in the General Assembly within the next two weeks. (To read the letter to parishioners and friends, click here.) It also recalls the success of similar pressure on lawmakers last year, when thousands contacted state legislators and rallied to defeat a bill that would have restructured the governance of the Catholic Church. "This bill would retroactively eliminate the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits related to allegations of child sexual abuse. Connecticut already has the longest retroactive statute in the United States – 30 years past the age of 18. Over the past several years in states that have even temporarily eliminated the statutes, it has caused the bankruptcy of at least seven dioceses. House Bill 5473 would make Connecticut the only State without a statute of limitations. This bill would put all Church institutions, including your parish, at risk," the letter says. The letter reminds parishioners and others that the Church in the United States has instituted a zero tolerance policy and "compassionately reached out to victims and their families through counseling, prayerful apology and considerable financial settlements." The Church also has created one of the most effective child protection programs in the country, it adds. "And this is not simply about bankruptcy or the loss of property. Ultimately the legislation would undermine the mission of the Catholic Church in Connecticut, threatening our parishes, our schools, and our Catholic Charities," the letter adds. It says that the attempt to change the statute of limitations is tied to the claims of people abused by the late Dr. George Reardon, who practiced at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford. "While this legislation is aimed directly at this hospital, it also targets the Catholic Church across the state and has potentially disastrous fallout for all of us," it says."The bottom line is that this is terrible public policy, discriminatory by its nature, and a huge threat to us all. Most important, it does nothing to protect the state’s children because it delays reporting. We must stop this bill now," the bishops urge in the letter. Information about how to contact lawmakers to voice opposition also was provided. That information is available at http://www.ctcatholic.org/Parish-Bulletin-Announcements.php. The judiciary committee approved the controversial bill March 29. It was introduced by Rep. Beth Bye (D-19, representing Farmington, Avon and West Hartford), who told The Transcript, that 13 people had approached her claiming to be victims of the late Dr. Reardon. People who claimed they are victims of sexual abuse and advocates for the Church testified at a public hearing before the committee on March 17. Many of those who testified talked about the allegations of sexual abuse against the late Dr. Reardon at St. Francis Hospital. Opponents of the bill argued that because public institutions are protected from such lawsuits, the bill unfairly targets Catholic and other nonpublic entities. The Transcript's coverage of that hearing may be found at http://www.catholictranscript.org/component/content/article/1-latest/1333-state-bill-ignores-sex-abuse-in-public-run-settings.html. An editorial printed April 1 in the Hartford Courant opposed the bill, saying that "hard cases make bad law" and arguing that "cooler heads should prevail" and that lawmakers should not be swayed by the emotions of the moment. "...[T]he bill that the judiciary committee passed after listening to the anguished testimony of Dr. Reardon's victims may do harm beyond the justice it could provide." Because Dr. Reardon died in 1998, he can't be sued. "The target would be St. Francis Hospital, which is already facing scores of potentially crippling lawsuits from people who do not fall within the current time limits," the editorial said. "There are questions about whether the hospital can defend itself against allegations that reach back decades. Records likely are gone, witnesses' memories may have grown unreliable," it added.
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