FIGHTING BACK
Proposals would give more victims more time to take legal action against accused abusers
State Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, listens to his supporters Tuesday outside the City-County Building in Downtown. He and other lawmakers promoted legislation aimed at aiding survivors of child sexual abuse.
A statewide push to let more survivors of child sexual abuse sue their attackers rolled into Downtown on Tuesday, angling to drum up public support before the General Assembly returns to session Monday.
“Time is short for us to bring justice long overdue,” said state Rep. Dan Miller, D-Mt. Lebanon, who appeared with other lawmakers and advocates for a midday rally at the City-County Building. Predators who targeted vulnerable children “can’t hide from justice because you preyed on the young,” he said.
Officials including Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline; Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill; and Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Berks County Democrat, championed several proposals that Mr. Rozzi plans to advance next week.
The proposals include ending a criminal statute of limitations for prosecuting future cases of child sexual abuse and raising the cutoff age — from 30 to 50 years old — when victims may bring civil litigation against accused abusers.
Mr. Rozzi’s plan also would open a two-year window during which some abuse victims could sue alleged assailants, regardless of earlier statutes that more narrowly limited litigation.
“Think of a child who’s been sexually abused by someone who is respected, loved and trusted in their community, only to be threatened by their perpetrator,” said Alison Hall, executive director at Pittsburgh Action Against Rape.
Speaking before TV news cameras, she said it can take survivors several decades to reveal such abuse. Public support for the Rozzi proposals sends “a message that
covering up rape and sexual abuse will not be tolerated in the commonwealth,” Ms. Hall said. Mr. Rozzi himself is an abuse survivor.
The assembly was among several events organized in the run-up to lawmakers’ return to Harrisburg. Across the state in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro held a round-table gathering Tuesday with various state officials and survivors of sexual abuse by clergy.
His office led an investigation of six Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania — including Pittsburgh’s — that identified more than 1,000 child victims of more than 300 “predator priests.” An investigative grand jury report last month recommended several changes, including ending the criminal statute of limitations and creating the two-year “civil window” for lawsuits.
Passing the recommendations “truly would make a huge difference for victims,” Mr. Rozzi said. He vowed to “demand the Senate take action” soon. His supporters promoted a website — www.stopcormannow.com — that pressures Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, for a vote if the civil-window concept reaches his chamber.
The Legislature considered a measure in 2016 that would have allowed certain victims to sue retroactively over abuse. House members passed the proposals, but the retroactivity clause died in the Senate Judiciary Committee after some Republicans questioned whether it was constitutional.
Mr. Rozzi’s plan differs slightly, outlining a twoyear window for some new lawsuits rather than an open-ended opportunity. Mr. Corman said he has asked Mr. Shapiro to provide a legal opinion concerning the idea’s constitutionality.
“When he gets that to us, we’ll review it,” Mr. Corman said.
House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods, told The Associated Press last week that he believes a two-year window could pass his chamber. The House is expected to vote on the measure next week, but it will need to survive another vote in the Senate before it can head to Gov. Tom Wolf.
Adam Smeltz: 412-2632625, asmeltz@post-gazette.com, @asmeltz. Liz Navratil: 717-787-2141, lnavratil@post-gazette.com, @LizNavratil.