Breaking: Pa. House votes to allow childhood sexual abuse survivors to sue [View all]
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/02/24/pa-house-votes-childhood-sexual-abuse-survivors-sue/stories/202302240080
This story will be updated.
HARRISBURG Survivors of childhood sexual abuse scored yet another victory in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Friday in their long-awaited quest for a chance for justice against their abuser.
By a 161-40 vote, the House passed a proposed constitutional amendment that would seek to provide a two-year window for victims of child sexual abuse otherwise barred by the statute of limitations to file civil claims against their abuser and any institution that covered it up.
It also passed by a 134-67 vote a bill that would provide for that window through the regular law-making process. Neither falls in line with the legislation the Senate passed in January to provide civil legal recourse for abuse survivors, so they have no reason to celebrate yet.
Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana County, has indicated repeatedly that he intends the package of three proposed constitutional amendments one of which provided for the statute of limitations reform for childhood sexual abuse survivors to be the final time the chamber deals with that issue.
Until the two chambers can agree on the same measure to provide this legal recourse for abuse victims, there remains no chance of them getting it. First Published February 24, 2023, 11:55am
- short article, no more at link -
It's a start, but they could do a lot more. Let's celebrate this small victory.