Pennsylvania House approves 2-year 'window' for time-barred child sex abuse lawsuits
HARRISBURG, Pa. —
Pennsylvania House lawmakers on Monday passed legislation that would open a two-year window for survivors of child sex abuse to sue their abusers on claims that currently fall beyond the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits.
The measure passed in both a regular piece of legislation and as the first leg of a constitutional amendment, the latter of which would kick off a multi-year process that couldn't conclude before 2027 and would be put to voters for final approval.
Supporters say the two-year window would offer victims of child sex abuse a chance to hold their abusers accountable and bring them to court on abuse that happened when they were too young to realize there was a limited amount of time to sue.
Rep. Nate Davidson, D-Dauphin/Cumberland, said the measure is long overdue.
"I can't think of another issue that's been voted upon so many times with such overwhelming support that still isn't across the finish line. There's been a lot of finger-pointing over the years, partisan divides, interchamber divides, mistakes by the previous administration. There's a lot of reasons, but ultimately it falls back at our feet in the legislature," he said.
The bills now head to the Senate, where legal concerns about the statutory bill have been raised. Leaders with the Republican caucus have also sought to tie an amendment dealing with voter ID to the constitutional legislation.
The provision has been debated and voted on a number of times over the years, but failed to become law.
Bill to update child sex abuse material terminology
should be a 'no-brainer', says senator
The Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Material (Amendment) Bill 2022 will be voted on at
third stage in the Seanad on Wednesday. Picture: iStock
Legislation to change terminology around the portrayal of child sex abuse material online will come before the Seanad (Irish Senate) this week.
The Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Material (Amendment) Bill 2022 will be voted on at third stage in the Seanad on Wednesday.
It seeks to replace the term "child pornography" in legislation including the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 and the Child Trafficking and Pornography (Amendment) Act 2004.
One of the sponsors of the bill, senator Eileen Flynn, said the legislation should be a “no-brainer for the Government”, adding that bringing it in will not cost money and will “have a dramatic impact on the victims, the children".
Ms Flynn says the use of the term “child pornography” implies that consent has been given, which a child is not in a position to give, she said.
She said the term “child sexual abuse material” is more reflective of the reality, and she believes that Irish law should echo that.
She also pointed to the Luxembourg guidelines, accepted by a group of 18 organisations including the UN, which advocate that nations should replace “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material”.
Mecpaths, an organisation which works to raise awareness of child trafficking in Ireland, has been supportive of the bill since its introduction three years ago.
The organisation's networks and communications manager, JP O’Sullivan, said: “The recognition of images of child sexual abuse for what they are is a significant step in acknowledging the harm, the abuse, and the exploitation of children.
This is a very small and tentative first step for the Irish, but the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Hopefully, they will pick up some momentum soon and get serious about fighting child sexual abuse.
No comments:
Post a Comment