Child USA reacts to grand jury report on church sexual abuse

69 News
August 14, 2018

http://www.wfmz.com/news/pennsylvania/child-usa-reacts-to-grand-jury-report-on-church-sexual-abuse/781493879

CHILD USA released a statement on the grand jury report on the clergy sex abuse in six Roman Catholic dioceses. 

"Attorney General Josh Shapiro has released a monumental report on the clergy sex abuse that has destroyed Pennsylvania children's lives for decades," said CEO and Academic Director of CHILD USA Professor Marci Hamilton.

Hamilton said the grand jury's recommendations, which include eliminating the criminal statute of limitations, reviving expired civil statues of limitations, amending the state's mandated reporting law so that repeated failures to report result in stiffer penalties and treating confidentiality agreements that impede disclosure of abuse to the police as obstruction of justice, are necessary to protect Pennsylvania children.

"CHILD USA stands behind each and every one of these proposals as the minimum needed to move forward the project of child sex abuse prevention," said Hamilton in the release. 

Additionally, the CHILD USA release said the grand jury report understates how far behind Pennsylvania's statue of limitations are behind compared to the rest of the country. 

Child USA is located at the University of Pennsylvania and is dedicated to ending child abuse and neglect through public policy advocacy.