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Proposed Sexual Abuse Reform Legislation in Pennsylvania Concerns Catholics

Submitted by jhartgen@abi.org on

Two Pennsylvania state House representatives are hopeful that sexual abuse reform legislation they’ve proposed will pass today in the state Senate and eventually become law, the Altoona Mirror reported. But the measures have plenty of critics, chief among them the Roman Catholic church, which claims it is the prime target of the legislation. Church representatives have said that they have acknowledged the past sins of clergy sexual abuse, and they’re atoning for those with compensation funds and counseling for victims. They’ve said they’ve also instituted reforms to avoid future problems. State Reps. Jim Gregory (R) and Rep. Mark Rozzi (D) put forth the pair of bills earlier this year. Their bills, to be voted upon today in the Senate, would eliminate the statute of limitations on sexual abuse criminal charges and provide a two-year window on outdated civil lawsuits against alleged sexual abuse offenders. Both bills raise the age of victims who can file claims from 30 to 55. Rozzi’s piece refers to eliminating the criminal statute of limitations on sex abuse crimes.

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