Don't Allow Church to Rob Long-Ago Child Sex Abuse Victims of Chance for Justice

The Star-Ledger
June 18, 2012

http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2012/06/dont_allow_church_to_rob_long-.html

For some victims of childhood sexual abuse, it may take years before they can speak about the crime. When they finally do, they shouldn't hear "Sorry, too late."

That's what the Catholic Church wants to say to them. That it's unfair that institutions like theirs must defend themselves against accusations that sometimes are decades old.

Across the country, the New York Times reported last week, the church is lobbying for strict time limits on victims to sue their attackers and those who protected them. For victims of long-ago sexual abuse, lawsuits are often their only path to justice.

In New York and elsewhere, the church helped stop legislation that opened "windows" for victims to sue for past abuse.

The church tried in New Jersey, too.

Introduced in March, the Child Protection Act of 2012 did anything but. The bill was a decoy, designed by the church. Yes, it eliminated the statute of limitations for victims to sue their attackers — but only for future cases, meaning past victims would be robbed of their chance for justice. It also limited responsibility to the actual abuser — protecting the bishops and their bank accounts.

Fortunately, lawmakers recognized the decoy. Instead, a stronger bill is moving through the Legislature that eliminates that statute of limitations completely. The Senate Judiciary Committee considers that bill Thursday.

Before the Assembly's version was okayed last week, Catholic bishops tried to scuttle it, too.

The priest sex-abuse scandal has cost the Catholic church $2.5 billion since it broke a decade ago. Its interest in burying the past is obvious. But redemption isn't that easy.

Lawsuits are a chance for child victims, now grown, to have a voice.

The absence of victims' voices let Cardinal Timothy Dolan give $20,000 to pedophile priests and call it "charity," or let Penn State's president cover up Jerry Sandusky's alleged crimes and call it "humane." Victims' voices encourage others, recalling old abuses at Delbarton and Horace Mann schools.

The church is right to look forward, but wrong to want to escape responsibility for past crimes. Without victims' voices, much abuse would still be taking place. Their voices finally stopped the crimes.

It would be criminal to silence them again.