GUAM
Pacific Daily News
Shawn Raymundo, sraymundo@guampdn.com May 14, 2016
The Catholic Church Friday challenged Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz’s claims that Archbishop Anthony Apuron instructed senators to tank a previous measure meant to support sexual abuse victims.
Cruz, D-Piti, made the statements Wednesday during a radio interview on K57.
The bill to which Cruz was referencing came out of the 31st Guam Legislature in 2011. Cruz introduced the “window” measure, wherein victims of childhood sexual abuse who were then adults could have a two-year period to file civil actions against the individual that preyed upon them, thereby suspending any statute of limitations.
At the time, Cruz noted, several state legislatures were passing similar bills. Such measures were meant to help victims who had remained silent for several years for fear of retribution and in part because of the trauma they endured.
In 2012, The New York Times reported that throughout the nation, the Roman Catholic Church wasn’t only battling sexual abuse cases in the courtroom, but had been lobbying against legislation that would loosen statute of limitations.
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