We now have some details of the proposed extension of the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse that the Mass. bishops were backing the other day.
A key State House committee is recommending the state extend the statute of limitations for victims of child sexual abuse by 10 years.
The limit is now 15 years. The Judiciary Committee yesterday recommended extending that to 25 years.
Advocates for victims of child sexual abuse had pushed for lifting the statute of limitations completely, saying it sometimes takes decades for victims to face the abuse they suffered as children.
I still don’t think no limit is the way to go. At some point, unless you have solid evidence, it’s just too long ago for a fair trial.
I’d still like more details on this bill. I’m wondering if it increases the limits for all potential abusers equally, i.e. doesn’t let some abusers skip out because they happen to work for the public school system. I’m also wondering if this is just for criminal prosecution or if civil suits will piggyback on it too.
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It should include cases involving the schools too, as well as family cases. It’s not just the church involved in this.
And instead of extending time out back, it should make provisions for being more active on the front end—ie. better prosecution, investigation, in the first place. People should never have been exposed to the stalling and refusal to prosecute they sometimes were, and sometimes still are.
People need to be made to understand that this will not be tolerated.