Statute of Limitation

There has been some talk in the past about the idea of prosecuting Roman Catholic clergy decades after an alleged sexual abuse incident.  The problems raised go to the question of memories and witnesses and factors such as that.

Now comes Queens (New York) Assemblywoman Margaret Markey with a modification to her perennial bill to provide a one year window to allow such cases to go back 40 years by making it broader than just religious institutions and would now include secular institutions.  The translation of that is that now rate payers would end up footing the damages, not just people in church pews.

Here is the article in The New York Times.  I would say that broadening Ms Markey's bill is only reasonable.

The $1.4 billion paid out by the Roman Catholic Church to date may give legislators (and rate payers) pause.  But, if we are going to look this problem over we need to really look it over.  Sexual abuse of young people is wrong.  That wrongness isn't moderated by the fact that it was your second grade public school teacher or your strange uncle, as opposed to your parish priest or your scout master.

Regards  —  Cliff