Hawaii Opens Window for Survivors, Victims Respond

By Joelle Casteix
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
May 7, 2012

http://www.snapnetwork.org/hawaii_opens_window_for_survivors_victims_respond

Last month, Hawaii officials made their state safer for children by enacting a law that will help expose dangerous child predators. The measure creates a two-year civil window for victims of child sexual abuse and opens the courthouse doors to dozens of victims who, until now, were denied justice. It also means that at least some child molesters - and any colleagues or supervisors who helped them hide their crimes - may be publicly exposed as the wrongdoers they are.

No amount of money can make up for a lost childhood. But when victims are allowed to use the tried-and-true civil justice system to name sex offenders, uncover cover ups, get secret records and provide valuable evidence to law enforcement, children are safer and victims can heal. In California and Delaware, hundreds of perpetrators were exposed and thousands of pages of evidence of abuse and cover-up helped police begin investigations and make arrests.

Simply put, this is a pro-victim, anti-crime law.

We want to thank Governor Abercrombie and the Hawaii legislature to opening a window of justice that will help keep Hawaii's children safer for generations to come.