MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - A Wisconsin senator says she’ll try again next year to help bring justice to victims of child sex abuse. Stevens Point Democrat Julie Lassa was a main sponsor of the Child Victims Act that died when the legislative session ended last week. It would have removed the statute of limitations for victims of child sex abuse to file civil suits.
Right now, the current age limit is 35 – but Lassa and others say many victims are not able to deal with their attacks until much later in life. This was the second time the measure was introduced, and Lassa said it got further in the process than the first time, because lawmakers held public hearings on it.
Catholic Church leaders, including new Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki, testified against the measure. La Crosse Diocese attorney Jim Birnbaum says everyone agrees that perpetrators must be brought to justice. But if this bill passes, he says the state should also do away with the sovereign immunity law which prohibits or limits damages in cases involving public employees.
Lassa calls that a bogus argument which basically says, “If we can’t catch all pedophiles, then we shouldn’t catch any.” She said the removal of the statute of limitations would apply in all abuse cases, private or public.
The ironic thing is La Crosse Diocese attorney Jim Birnbaum is a large supporter of the Democratic Party, including contributing to the election of now President Obama.
I know a few people who have brought complaints to the diocese about Birnbaum, but no action has been taken. I don't know what his position on abortion is.
Back to Lassa, when the Murphy case was rehashed recently, she was hopeful it would help push this bill through. Just one problem, Murphy is dead. Are they going to go after Weakland? What seems to not be a concern for these Democrats is the healing of the victims or the perpetrators brought to justice. But they are concerned about the money. I assume the hope is that the Archdiocese of Milwaukee will have to sell some churches or schools or hospitals to payout to victims and their lawyers. I highly doubt this law will apply to any other institute but the Church. Happy Friday Sen. Lassa!
2 comments:
So because the church does good works, it's ok to let known pedophiles roam loose? The Child Victims Act was not targeted at the Catholic Church, and yet when it was introduced, Listecki goes out and as much as says, "Sex offenders? Hey, she must be talking about us!" Through its many mouthpieces (like the article here) the church has been desperately trying to distract from the only real issue at stake here -- justice for the victims of childhood sex abuse. Proof positive that the church hierarchy is STILL concerned only about protecting its power and image and cares nothing for the people whose lives were wrecked by the pedophiles they sheltered.
Of course the Church is concerned about protecting Her own, except you seem to forget that both victim and priest are Her own. I for one know that the Church made errors in judgment, and many of those problems have been corrected. Have they been corrected in the public school system? But this bill doesn't do anything to "catch pedophiles." All it does it allows trial lawyers to close down more of our churches and schools to get a big payout.
How is digging up Fr Murphy like Pope Formosus going to fix any problems?
I would support legislation that would sensibly protect minors in Wisconsin institutions. The Child Victims Act is not that. It is a trial lawyer stimulus bill.
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