Catholic League President Celebrates Defeat of Child Victims Act, Says Bill Was Pushed by Activists "out to Rape the Catholic Church"

By Kenneth Lovett
New York Daily News
June 20, 2016

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/catholic-league-president-celebrates-defeat-child-victims-act-article-1.2680722

“The bill was sold as justice for the victims of sexual abuse, when, in fact, it was a sham,” Catholic League President Bill Donohue wrote. (TRACY, JOHN, FREELANCE)

The gloating head of the Catholic League on Monday ripped into the “victims’ lobby” he says is out to “rape” the Catholic Church over the issue of child sex abuse.

In a vitriolic message emailed to his supporters, Catholic League President Bill Donohue celebrated the defeat of the Child Victims Act that would have made it easier for kid sex abuse victims to seek justice.

“The bill was sold as justice for the victims of sexual abuse, when, in fact, it was a sham,” Donohue wrote.

He blasted the legislation as ”a vindictive bill pushed by lawyers and activists out to rape the Catholic Church.”

And he described bill’s sponsor Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (D-Queens) as “the principal enemy of the Church.” He gleefully pointed out that Markey was wrong when she previously told the Daily News, which he also ripped for its campaign on the issue, that the measure would come to the floor for a vote before the end of the legislative session.

Bill co-sponsors State Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (l.) and State Senator Brad Hoylman (r.) in Albany. (JEFFERSON SIEGEL/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)

Markey’s bill would have extended the timeframe in which a victim could bring a case by five years, opened a six-month window to revive old cases, and treated public and private institutions the same when it comes to child sex abuse cases.

The 2016 session ended 5 a.m. Saturday without a vote.

“If the statute of limitations were lifted on offenses involving the sexual abuse of minors, the only winners would be greedy and bigoted lawyers out to line their pockets in a rash of settlements,” Donohue railed. “The big losers would be the poor, about whom the attorneys and activists care little: When money is funneled from parishioners to lawyers, services to the needy suffer. “

He added that “the Catholic League is proud of its role in this victory.”

Kathryn Robb (pictured), an advocate and child sex abuse survivor, called Donohue’s comments “poisonous.” (JEFFERSON SIEGEL/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)

The ferocity of his statements, particularly his contention that advocates were out to “rape” the Church shocked sex abuse survivors and even had the group representing Timothy Cardinal Dolan and the state’s Catholic bishops distancing itself from Donohue.

“As Dr. Donohue often reminds us, the Catholic League is an independent organization and does not speak for the Bishops of New York State,” said Catholic Conference spokesman Dennis Poust.

Kathryn Robb, an advocate and child sex abuse survivor, called Donohue’s comments “poisonous.”

“To call victims who have already been raped rapists is outlandish,” Robb said. “This is completely contrary to the compassionate heart of Christ. Shame on them.”

Melanie Blow, of the Stop Abuse Campaign, called Donohue’s use of the word rape “very offensive, but not surprising.”

“Abusers tend to be very good at portraying themselves as victims,” Blow said. “Sex offenders will say their victim ‘ruined their life’ by going to the police.”

She also argued that the “victims’ lobby” Donohue referred to “is really the children’s lobby.”

“Most victims of sexual abuse aren't interested in large sums of money, nor could they possibly receive it from suing a relative, family friend, etc.” Blow said. “Victims want to protect children by holding abusers accountable, and (statute of limitations reform) with a lookback window is the only way to accomplish that.”