Group Says Democrats Abandoned Clergy Abuse Victims, by Marti Mikkelson, Wuwm, May 7, 2010

Group Says Democrats Abandoned Clergy Abuse Victims

By Marti Mikkelson
Wuwm
May 7, 2010

http://www.wuwm.com/programs/news/view_news.php?articleid=6154

The state Legislature adjourned for the year without voting on the Child Victims Act. The bill would have made it easier for victims of clergy sexual abuse to file suit. A group that advocates for victims wants answers, but as WUWM's Marti Mikkelson reports, there appears to be some confusion.

The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, chose Christ King Catholic Church in Wauwatosa for its news conference on Thursday. That's where State Sen. Jim Sullivan, a Democrat, attends mass. Sullivan is also vice-chair of the Senate Judiciary committee. Earlier this year, it held a hearing on the Child Victims Act, which would allow more cases of clergy abuse to go to court. Midwest Director of SNAP Peter Isely, says the group believed the committee had the votes to pass the measure, but then the Legislature adjourned without a vote.

Peter Isely of SNAP talks about the Child Victims Act at Christ King Church

"What we're asking for is for Archbishop Listecki, Senator Taylor, Senator Sullivan to come forward. It's been two weeks of silence, not answering calls, not answering calls to the press, we wouldn't be here if they had not been running away for two weeks, so they all need to come forward and clear this up," Isely says.

Isely says the chair of the committee, Sen. Lena Taylor, even promised the group that the panel would take a vote. He says what's particularly troubling to him, is that he heard the Catholic Church might have threatened to ban Sullivan if he had supported the bill. Isely quoted an e-mail lobbyist and former state Sen. Joe Strohl wrote in December, saying Sullivan told him he wouldn't support the measure because he "still takes communion every Sunday" and wants to be able to keep doing that.

"In that context he is using the communion threat," Isely says.

Isely called on Sullivan to clear up that matter as well. While Sullivan didn't talk to SNAP after Thursday's news conference, he did call us Thursday afternoon. He denied that the Catholic Church has threatened to ex-communicate him if he would have supported the bill.

"I really object to the characterization that people have made that in any way the church had threatened me receiving the sacrament. That's just categorically untrue," Sullivan says.

Sullivan says he opposes the measure because it lifts the statute of limitations on future child sexual abuse cases, and would let some old cases come forward.

"This was a bill that was focused almost entirely on opening up a raft of new lawsuits specifically against the Catholic Church. I thought it was inequitable. I thought it would have probably had the effect of bankrupting the Archdiocese. So, this was me talking to former Senator Strohl and expressing to him that I wanted to continue to go to church in good conscience this weekend and I thought this bill was at odds with that," Sullivan says.

Sullivan says while he sympathizes with victims of clergy abuse, most crimes in Wisconsin have statutes of limitations. However, he says if the bill comes up again next year, he might reconsider some cases.