After OSU’S Strauss report, governor wants longer statutes of limitations
Citing the Ohio State University sex abuse scandal, Gov. Mike Dewine is calling for eliminating or lengthening statutes of limitations on sex crimes while ordering a new assessment of a decades-old, still-secret state investigation of physician-turned-predator Richard Strauss.
Twice calling the deceased Ohio State doctor a “monster,” Dewine urged lawmakers Monday to eliminate the statute of limitations for rape to allow criminal charges to be filed beyond the current deadline of 20 to 25 years, depending on the circumstances.
Dewine also wants to increase the allowable periods for filing charges for other sexual crimes and to increase the statute of limitations for filing civil lawsuits against state institutions and other organizations beyond the current one- to two-year window if a victim is assaulted while age 18 or older.
A report released last week by Ohio State found that Strauss sexually abused at least 177 male students while serving as an athletic department and student health center physician between 1979 and 1996, when he was removed from those positions but allowed to keep his faculty position.
Dewine expressed his sympathy for the victims and added, “Undoubtedly, there are more victims out there who have not come forward. We all should be disgusted, every Ohioan should be disgusted, and should be angered by what happened.
“Not only by the horrific and vile acts perpetrated by Richard Strauss, but also they should be angered the complaints and reports of this sexual abuse were not reported to higher authorities, a police department or the Ohio State University health center until 1996,” despite the ongoing molestation of men.
Rape should be prosecuted regardless of when offenses are uncovered, Dewine said.
“How furious would the public be if this man was alive today and could not be prosecuted?” Dewine asked.
Dewine signed an executive ordering empowering a working group to review redacted portions of the Ohio State report involving a State Medical Board investigation of Strauss; the information was censored from the report because such investigations are confidential under Ohio law unless they result in charges.
The review could result in changes to statutes affecting investigations of physicians — and what information should be released — if laws are found lacking.
Dewine wants to know if the State Medical Board properly handled the 1996 investigation of Strauss, who escaped any board action or criminal referral. While the redacted portions of the report cannot be released, the working group can describe what they involved, the first-year governor said. The group will include Public Safety Director Tom Stickrath as chairman, as well as state and law enforcement officials.
Dewine also called for increasing the statute of limitations for other felony sex crimes beyond the current six years and for increasing the one- to two-year period in which charges can be filed for misdemeanor sex offenses. And he wants legislators to strengthen laws regarding the criminal charges against a person who holds a position of authority or power over his or her victims.
Democrats in the Gop-controlled General Assembly have unsuccessfully called for years to end the statute of limitations on both lawsuits and criminal charges involving rape and sexual assault. They criticized a current Republican bill on sex crimes that the Democrats say is too narrowly tailored to the Ohio State situation.
The governor also called on the Ohio Department of Education to review college and university policies regarding the handling of sexual abuse complaints to ensure they are appropriate and also address sexual misconduct among employees.
Brian Garrett, who said he was abused by Strauss and witnessed crimes against others, attended Dewine’s news conference and thanked the governor for his proposals.
“I was impressed so far with what I heard today, that Gov. Dewine is going to do the right thing, and he’s talked about the statute of limitations which is how we get to the truth,” Garrett told reporters afterward. “OSU’S not going to do anything unless they’re told to do (something) or somebody forces them to.”
In a statement, Ohio State University President Michael V. Drake said, “We share Gov. Dewine’s concern and compassion for survivors of sexual abuse and applaud the administration’s efforts to strengthen sexual misconduct reporting to law enforcement. We will continue to advocate for permission to release the redacted portions of the Strauss investigative report.
“Ohio State is a fundamentally different university today. We have implemented multiple safeguards against sexual assault over the past 20 years, including mandatory reporting and training. We agree with the governor that colleges and universities must always be vigilant in strengthening our protections and protocols. Ohio State looks forward to continuing to work with our partners on this critically important issue.”
Carol Zamonski, coordinator of the local Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests group and a survivor of sexual abuse by a priest as a child, said Dewine’s proposal would make a huge difference.
“It’s a great thing, and it is amazing,” she said. “A lot of times I think victims don’t feel supported by the public sphere. The possible ending of the statute of limitations makes it seem like our state is more user-friendly for people who have been victims of sexual abuse. People will have the feeling that justice is possible.”
Still, she said, more needs to be done. She hopes Dewine will call for a Pennsylvania-style grand jury investigation of sexual abuse by clergy members and said the $250,000 cap on noneconomic civil damages for survivors still needs to be lifted.