Letters: Pa. bill essential to heal sex-abuse victims, church

ISSUE | SEXUAL ABUSE

Pa. bill essential to heal victims and church

Passage of Pennsylvania House Bill 1947, which would remove the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution for child sexual abuse and raise the age at which a victim may file a civil suit to 50, is critically important ("Justice or financial ruin? Two views on a Pa. bill," Sunday). Contrary to the scare tactics of Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, this bill would work to purge the Catholic Church of the stigma of clergy abuse and reduce the possibility of abuse, revitalizing the priority of children and families.

Pennsylvania needs to join other states that have helped those who have been damaged by abuse to overcome the shame and tell their stories, which will help stop the insidious spread of these crimes. Take a stand for decency and urge your representative and senators to pass this bill.

|Joanne Stiteler, Springfield

Put justice ahead of money

Why is the timing and matter of justice for victims of child sexual predators a matter of discussion, let alone disagreement? Shame on Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, his lobbyists, and his bullying of the faithful from the pulpit.

The notion of putting finances first in God's house was decided when Christ threw the money-changers from the temple in the New Testament.

Man up, Chaput - saying "sorry" doesn't mean anything without penance.

|Laura Szatny, King of Prussia

Committed to change

The Catholic Church criticized for stonewalling in its efforts to address its sex-abuse scandal is not the church I know ("Justice for victims won't devastate the church," June 2). As a Philadelphia native and director of children's programming at a Catholic parish in the archdiocese, I've seen all that the church has done to own its mistakes, support survivors, and prevent abuse.

Since 2002, the church has done more positive work in this regard than any other institution. That includes implementing policies to protect children: mandatory background checks, required training for staff and volunteers, and annual "Say No, Go, Tell" lessons to empower our kids.

Child safety isn't just a Catholic issue. Last week, the Inquirer ran a story about a sexual-abuse scandal at a public school in a Pittsburgh suburb ("Teacher sex scandal roils W. Pa. school,"

June 2). Where is the outcry for those students?

|Lauren Joyce, King of Prussia

Include public-school victims, too

If House Bill 1947 is really about getting justice for the victims, shouldn't public and private institutions be treated equally? Let's not pretend the bill is about getting justice when it excludes victims of public institutions from seeking it.

|Jim Roberts, Lansdale, jim@robert.net

Keep the bill, but fix it

To critics of House Bill 1947 who say it creates a double standard by not allowing public institutions to be sued for child abuse: Fix the bill, don't kill it. Everyone who was abused as a child should have the same right to civil action, whether it occurred in a public or private institution.

|George Salloom, Drexel Hill

Support for victims who were betrayed

Reading the commentary, "Pa. bill would harm schools, parishes, services" (Sunday) made me sad and sick. Sad because it defended the indefensible, and sick because the church that I grew up in has vacated its morals and principles when it counts.

Where were all these apologists when children were being violated for years at a time? Yes, there are consequences, but justice must prevail.

House Bill 1947 wouldn't erase the deeds or the memories. But it may go a long way to provide justice and support to the people who, as children, should have been respected by the men who preached respect from the pulpit.

|Marianne Roche, Oreland

It's time to do what's right

It is obvious what Christ would do. Catholic churches and their members need to think about their religion and the victims of horrific abuse instead of their narrow self-interest, and support the proposal to extend the time victims of abuse have to sue as adults.

|Tom Hammer, Kennett Square, thammer302@yahoo.com