Proposal: No extra time to file sex abuse lawsuits
limitations, victims have until the age of 30 to sue.
The so-called two-year “window” was among the recommendations of the statewide grand jury that ivestigated child sexual abuse in six of the eight Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania and chronicled abuse by more than 300 priests and how church officials concealed it for years. Mr. Shapiro, whose office led the investigation, has endorsed the idea, as have a majority of members in the GOP-controlled House, which approved a version last month.
But the measure has been opposed by Mr. Scarnati and other Republicans, who hold the majority in the Senate. They believe opening a twoyear window would violate the remedies clause in the state constitution, which has been interpreted by the courts as prohibiting timebarred legal actions. It is a position shared by lobbyists for the Catholic Church and the insurance industry.
Drew Crompton, the top lawyer for Senate Republicans, declined to comment on the latest proposal by Mr. Scarnati. In a Twitter post Friday afternoon, Mr. Crompton said negotiations were continuing.
“The goals are to deliver compensation and justice for the victims,” Mr. Crompton wrote.
Mr. Scarnati has declined repeated requests for comment.
Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, a clergy abuse victim who has championed a temporary reprieve in the statute, called Mr. Scarnati’s proposal lacking in substance and political courage.
“The two-year window is essential,” Mr. Rozzi said at a Capitol news conference Friday. “No more excuses. No more political games. This is our opportunity to do the right thing, right now.”
Mr. Scarnati’s proposal would create a tribunal of judges appointed by Pennsylvania’s appellate courts, including the state Supreme Court. That tribunal would then hire an administrator to run a victims compensation fund and report back to the tribunal on how the money in it is distributed, according to a copy of the proposal. It does not say who would contribute to the fund — although it implies it would be open to the Catholic Church as well as other private organizations.
All eight Roman Catholic bishops in the state have thrown their support behind the concept of a victims compensation fund. In other states, such funds have paid lower sums for damages than courts have ordered in lawsuits. Supporters of a fund say it provides a faster, less traumatic way to compensate victims. But victims advocates dismiss it as a copout, saying it would spare the church from justly compensating victims for its crimes.
Mr. Scarnati’s proposal would also create a public registry to allow victims to openly name their abusers — but it provides scant detail on what victims would have to do to get an abuser’s name on it. Ohio launched a similar registry a decade ago, and it has been roundly criticized for its ineffectiveness in getting victims to use it.
His counterproposal also calls for eliminating the criminal and civil statute of limitations in child sexual abuse cases for future victims.
It is unclear whether Mr. Scarnati’s alternative to a two-year window has the support of other Republicans in the chamber’s majority. Many advocates believe that if a two-year window were brought to a vote on the full Senate floor, it would receive overwhelming support.
Mr. Shapiro, during a news conference Friday in Norristown, said Mr. Scarnati’s proposal for a compensation fund favors the church and is “designed to further silence the victims.”
The Senate is scheduled to return to the Capitol on Monday and has just three voting days left before its two-year session ends. Any legislation that is not approved before then will have to be reintroduced when a new session begins in January.