High price for lost credibility

The Times-Tribune
June 25, 2016

http://thetimes-tribune.com/opinion/high-price-for-lost-credibility-1.2059831

Pennsylvania’s Catholic bishops recently appealed to their congregations to help defeat a bill that enhances the ability of sexual abuse victims to sue. But the church’s credibility issue that gave rise to the legislation in the first place likely will be difficult to overcome.

The reforms to criminal and civil child sex crime laws are aimed at all private institutions that deal with children, rather than just the Catholic Church alone. But the legislation clearly is inspired by a blistering report by the state attorney general’s office relative to an investigation of child sexual abuse by priests and its cover-up in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese.

The bill, which easily has passed the House, would eliminate the criminal statute of limitations regarding sex crimes against children. It also would raise 20 years, from 30 to 50, the age by which victims must file civil litigation.

Church leaders contend that provision unfairly would expose the institution to far greater liability and ignores reforms that they have implemented.

But four Catholic state representatives who support the bill — Patrick Harkins and Ryan Bizzaro of Erie, Mark Rozzi of Berks County and Madeline Dean of Montgomery County — countered that the church helped create the liability and the need to increase the statutory deadline to file suit.

“Our Catholic faith and teaching is centered on love,” they wrote. “Love does not hide the truth; love does not allow the rape of children; love does not relocate perpetrators knowing they will harm others; love does not hide claims in church file cabinets and safes and watch as the clock runs out; love does not create a secret schedule of payments to victims based on the level of the crimes done to them.”

The state bill illustrates the degree to which the church’s private failure to rein in abuse has resulted in a public response. It should pass.