Time for justice for victims of child sexual abuse

They say the wheels of justice turn slowly. Just ask Brian Rozzi. He’s a state rep from Berks County. And the Democrat happens to be the Legislature’s fiercest proponent of delivering justice to victims of child sexual abuse.

Rozzi knows of what he speaks. He was the victim of a predator priest as a youth.

His push to give victims of clergy sexual abuse has made him some powerful enemies. The Catholic church for one. The insurance industry for another.

None of that has stopped Rozzi. He started this push back in 2005, after a grand jury in Philadelphia identified the depth of the problem involving sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests, and just as troubling, the clear policies of the hierarchy of the Philadelphia archdiocese that not only covered up for the priests, but moved problem clerics from one parish to another, leaving unsuspecting families – and kids – in harm’s way.

The problem was rekindled a few years later when another grand jury identified much the same kind of pervasive problems in the Altoona-Johnstown diocese.

And it exploded into headlines – and outrage – again a month ago when Attorney General Josh Shapiro released the findings of still another grand jury that investigated the problem in the remaining six dioceses in Pennsylvania.

Different pews, same problems. The grand jury identified more than 300 priests who abused more than 1,000 children over a period of six decades. And the grand jury strongly hinted that there were likely at least as many more victims who could not be identified.

Through it all, Rozzi has been working in Harrisburg to change the laws when it comes to delivering some semblance of justice to victims of child sexual abuse – and not just those assaulted by priests.

The problem is that current state law requires victims seeking to file a civil action against their abusers by the time they are 30. The problem with that is most experts agree it often takes long into adulthood for victims to come forward, long after both the civil and criminal statute of limitations has expired.

Rozzi is hoping to change that. He has pushed not only to eliminate the criminal statute of limitations altogether, but also expand the time period for a victim to file suit.

There has been support in the Legislature for such measures – but only going forward.

Rozzi would like to open a window to allow past victims to file suit retroactively. And that’s where he’s met resistance.

A bill to do just that actually did pass the state House before stalling in the state Senate. It met fierce opposition from the church and insurance industry, with some fearing the church could be bankrupted or forced to close more schools and parishes. Some in the state Legislature even wonder if the retroactive window would pass constitutional muster.

The current legislation in the House is sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson. It was passed last year by the Senate. It ends the criminal statute and expands the time a victim can sue to the age of 50. But only going forward. Rozzi wants to add the two-year window for past victims to file suit, something by the way that was recommended by the grand jury panel.

Scarnati opposes that effort, instead offering a church-endowed compensation fund to be run by a third party. Rozzi is not buying, and he’s ready to take his case directly to his fellow legislators and the public in a series of TV ads and a social media push.

This week there is word that the wheels of justice just might be turning in Rozzi’s favor. House Speaker Mike Turzai said the House might be ready to take up the two-year window pushed by Rozzi as a compromise to a move to eliminate all lawsuits for victims of all ages.

“Everybody empathizes with the victims of child sexual abuse, the Allegheny County Republican said. “These victims have to live with these consequences the rest of their lives.”

State representatives will have to live with their votes on this measure as well. That is, if it ever actually gets to a vote.

Things have a way of stalling in Harrisburg.

We’ve been here before in this battle.

Then there are a couple of other mitigating factors. The House has precious few working sessions scheduled this fall. And every state representative and half the Senate is busy running for reelection. Putting these bills up for a vote just weeks before they are judged by their constituents will no doubt test the mettle of those we send to Harrisburg.

The bill could pass the House. They’ve passed similar legislation in the past. But if Rozzi’s amendment for a two-year retroactive window is added, it will face staunch opposition in the Senate, which passed the original bill to eliminate future statutes of limitation for criminal charges and expands the window to sue to age 50 by a 48-0.

There is not much time to get this done.

We support the grand jury’s recommendation that past victims be offered a window to seek redress.

Mark Rozzi and the other victims of childhood sexual abuse have been waiting long enough.