NEW YORK
New York Daily News
BY STEPHEN JIMENEZ NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Monday, May 9, 2016
New Yorkers and people of good faith everywhere agree that the sexual abuse of children is among the most heinous of crimes. It is not a political or partisan “issue” – but a universal human concern with lifelong ramifications for all of us and our families and communities, especially our children.
Why, then, has this crucial issue been so neglected by the powers-that-be in our great state of New York? Why is our state plagued by one of the worst records in the nation when it comes to statute of limitations reform?
Sadly, New York ranks alongside Alabama and Mississippi, a potent reminder that the quest for civil and human rights must continue until our children are adequately protected – and all who were previously victimized are allowed to seek legal redress.
As a survivor of years of sexual abuse by a Xaverian teaching brother at Holy Name School in Brooklyn – from age 10 until nearly 14 – I was molested repeatedly in bathhouses, locker rooms, shower stalls, classrooms and other places. I have tried to seek justice for more than a dozen years from Catholic Chruch officials, including Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn. Because I have been barred by the statute of limitations from filing a criminal or civil suit, I approached church officials directly, only to find the church staunchly opposed to the Child Victims Act, including its one-year “window” that would allow older victims like me to pursue claims.
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