PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive
By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com
The words “statute of limitations” are mentioned five times in the 427-page final report issued by the Pennsylvania Task Force in Child Protection.
But in any of those mentions, did the task force call for changing these expiration dates for bringing civil litigation or criminal prosecution in child sexual abuse cases or leaving them alone?
Based on statements issued in the aftermath of the recent accusations about the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown concealing the sexual abuse of hundreds of children, it seems the task force recommended both.
Auditor General Eugene DePasquale issued a statement on Wednesday calling on the General Assembly to “muster the courage” to pass legislation to reform the state’s laws to remove the criminal and civil statute of limitations on child sexual abuse and urged the governor to promptly sign it into law.
“It is absolutely criminal that this legislation has not yet been passed, given that it was proposed – in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal – by the General Assembly’s own Pennsylvania Task Force on Child Protection,” DePasquale’s statement said.
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