New York Daily News

Their calls of duty

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Time for truth-telling. The Daily News Editorial Board on Wednesday will call New York’s infamous Three Men in a Room to account about justice. Gov. Cuomo, Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Republican Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan stand notified to expect a request for a telephone interview at the heart of which will be the question:

Do you support denying childhood victims of life-scarring sex crimes their day in court against their abusers?

Cuomo, Heastie and Flanagan have gone behind closed doors to negotiate legislativ­e matters, including, for instance, extension of mayoral control of the schools.

None expected the end-of-session agenda to include extending or eliminatin­g statutes of limitation­s that bar prosecutor­s from charging many offenders and prohibit many victims from filing civil suits.

But then the revelation that New York’s overly tight statutes had prevented full prosecutio­n of an alleged serial abuser prompted The News to ask: What the hell?

While a crime like rape can be prosecuted forever, prosecutor­s have slim time to bring charges against a coach, teacher or priest who fondles children.

And the victims have until the age of 23 to file civil suits. Worse, if the pervert happens to work for a government agency, a 90-day notice of claim regulation may apply.

Since many victims take years into adulthood to come to terms with their young victimizat­ion, the 90-day regulation must go and the statute of limitation­s must be expanded or eliminated.

Bills have been filed in the Assembly and Senate to accomplish both, but they have differing terms. They are also complicate­d by a provision that would give past victims one year to bring previously barred actions — a measure that is opposed by, among others, the Catholic Church.

Last week, abuse victims got the got the brushoff in the Legislatur­e, including a spurning by the Senate’s second in command, John DeFrancisc­o, in favor of a pizza party for the Syracuse women’s basketball team.

So, this board invites Cuomo, Heastie and Flanagan to answer identical questions about where they stand on the particular­s of the statutes of limitation, as well as why they believe their positions are correct.

Perhaps we’ll find common ground. At least, we’ll fully report their responses — that is, if Cuomo, Heastie and Flanagan accept their obligation to inform the public about the public’s business.

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