AG Report Should Lead to Legislative Reform

ST. LOUIS (MI)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

December 20, 2018

The report into clergy sex crimes that was released by AG Lisa Madigan yesterday has revealed a stunning level of secrecy in catholic dioceses throughout Illinois.

Illinois bishops have a key partner in their secrecy: state lawmakers who refuse to fix archaic, predator-friendly laws like the statute of limitations.

If this arbitrary, unfair time limit were temporarily suspended, as several states have done, bishops would be far less able to hide child molesters. Instead, children would be safer and survivors will be helped by being able to bring abusers to justice.

California, Delaware, Hawaii and Minnesota have taken this simple step toward children’s safety. It works. It enables our time-tested justice system to determine who is “credibly accused,” not church officials who are not trained to investigate or adjudicate crimes.

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