COMMENTARY
What Commitment Looks Like
This is text of a letter written
by VOTF Boston Area Council and distributed to VOTF
Massachusetts members.
Dear VOTF Victim and Survivor Advocates,
Please join us on Sunday, July 16, at diocesan cathedrals
to support the elimination of statutes of limitation
(SOL) for sex abuse crimes against children. We will
be in four locations: Boston, Springfield, Fall River,
and Worcester.
On Friday, June 30, a bill to reform the statute of
limitations for crimes of sexual abuse to children was
released from the Judiciary Committee. While the legislation
released is less than what is needed (It is not the original
bill we all called and emailed about), there is no doubt
that what occurred happened because of our collective
efforts. We should consider this a small victory in an
important battle of a broader campaign.
The Judiciary Committee released a bill, H836, which
increases the criminal SOL for crimes of rape and some
sexual assault crimes to 25 years, making 41 years of
age the maximum age that a victim of these crimes can
seek judicial action. We know that this is not enough
time for many victims.
This legislation has the following deficiencies:
- No repeal of SOL for civil actions
- No repeal of criminal SOL
- No extension on crimes of incest
- No extension on most crimes of sexual assault (especially
age 14 and over)
The effect of this incremental approach with these
exclusions is to make Massachusetts a state with less
tolerance for crimes of sexual abuse to children. We
still have much work to do in the next month to amend
this bill to make Massachusetts a ZERO tolerance state
for these crimes.
Also on Friday, Cardinal O’Malley and the three Massachusetts
Bishops issued a joint statement supporting this amended
bill. Some of what they said in their statement was:
“The Commonwealth’s law enforcement officials should
be given the tools they need to remove sexual predators
from our communities. We support the proposed increase
in the criminal statute of limitation for the sexual
abuse of children.” To view their full statement, click
here.
However, previous public statements made by the Massachusetts
Catholic Conference indicated that they did not support
repeal of SOL for civil actions and questioned the constitutionality
of repeal of SOL for criminal prosecution, both of which
are needed for a zero tolerance policy for these crimes.
The Dallas charter in 2002 demanded zero tolerance,
and we should expect no less of the Massachusetts Bishops.
We ask you to join VOTF, SNAP, STTOP and other concerned
citizens and stand in vigil outside the Cathedral on
Sunday morning July 16 to remind the bishops of their
commitment to do all they can to protect children from
sexual abuse.
Support from the bishops to amend this bill to include
the elimination of SOLs for all sex abuse crimes against
children, both civil and criminal, could be what turns
the legislature to amend and pass a complete ZERO Tolerance
bill this session.
Please join us on the 16th. We will be handing out
fliers to churchgoers in a respectful manner. The following
week marks the fourth anniversary of our historic First
National VOTF Conference in Boston. We committed ourselves
to insisting that the Church do all it can to protect
children then, and we need to keep insisting, while there
are just days left to get legislation passed in Massachusetts.
Times and locations are below. Call a friend: not everyone
reads his or her email. And, once again, thank you for
all your actions to support the protection of children.
Without your continued support we would not have come
this far. Boston Area Council
Places and Times:
- Boston, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, 11 am (Mass
starts at 11:30 am)
- Springfield, St. Michael’s Cathedral, 254 State St.,
9:30 am (Mass starts at 10 am)
- Worcester, St. Paul’s Cathedral, 9:30 am (Mass starts
at 10:15am) 15 Chatham St.
- Fall River, St. Mary’s Cathedral, 327 Second St.,
9:30 am (Mass starts at 10 am)
Comment from Jetta Bernier, executive director
of Massachusetts Citizens for Children, in response to
those proposals [above]. “The proposed changes would
exclude victims of incest, those who were abused after
age 13, and those who were sexually abused but not raped.
Additionally the Chairman has given no indication he
intends to act on the bill that would repeal the statute
of limitation for civil actions against sexual predators,
which is the only means by which 95% of victims have
to seek justice. Experiences of 31 other states do not
support his expressed caution about potential problems
with constitutional issues and judicial procedures.”
{Jetta Bernier’s remarks appeared in an update from
the Coalition to Reform Sex Abuse Laws. Their web site
is www.stopsexcrime.org.]
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