I find it interesting that he only mentions the Sandusky trial in this statement. I guess he didn’t find the Philadelphia Grand Jury Reports and Msgr. Lynn’s trial compelling. – Susan
Marsico Passes Child Protection Legislation through House Judiciary Committee
6/20/2012
HARRISBURG –Rep. Ron Marsico (R-Dauphin) issued the following statement in regard to the passage of legislation dealing with Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations through the House Judiciary Committee today:
“Representative Bishop, Representative McGeehan and I have been discussing House Bills 878 and 832 for months. Together we met with several district attorneys and representatives of the state district attorneys association and discussed criminal investigations and prosecution of child sexual abuse, as well as victims’ civil remedies and the impact their bills might have on preventing abuse and bringing offenders to justice. I believe the meeting gave everyone an opportunity to better understand the issues. Any differences are surmountable because all of us are committed to protecting children from abuse.
“Last December, following the horrific allegations made public in connection with the prosecution of Jerry Sandusky, I initiated legislation in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and worked closely with the Senate and the governor to create a Task Force on Child Protection. The point of the task force was to avoid tackling the many issues related to child sex abuse in piecemeal fashion, and instead, to look in-depth, across the whole scope of the issues to reach a complete package of concrete suggestions for improvement. Since December, 10 members have been appointed and the governor has named Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler to serve as its chair. Each of the members of the task force is an expert in his or her particular field, and the group represents a wide range of backgrounds and experiences in child abuse issues. Each will contribute to the effort and provide insight to meet the task force’s mission to identify gaps and recommend specific statutory and administrative changes. The task force has been diligently working on its mission.
“I would have preferred to let the task force do its job, by awaiting their full report in order to comprehensively address all of the many issues confronting those who are victims of childhood sexual abuse. However, a number of legislators have been insisting on our committee to act now – before the task force has completed its job. I was willing to accommodate that request, but insisted that we only move forward with a few discrete reasonable points, and await the task force’s upcoming expert suggestions on any other legislative action to take.
“No single piece of legislation will solve the problem of child sexual abuse. The events in State College are not unique, but demonstrate there is a need for a comprehensive study of our laws, policies and practices to determine what is lacking and what steps can be taken to better address these terrible crimes. With that said, this is an issue that I do not take lightly and feel as though, through my House Bill 2488, as well as the amended House Bills 878 and 832, we came up with a constitutional solution that will put the monsters that prey on our children behind bars. All of us are in agreement that our objective is to do whatever we can to protect children from child sex abuse and to prevent that harm from being visited on any more children.
http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20120604006174/en/foundation-to-abolish-child-sex-abuse/facsa/Ronald-marsico Thanks John and Tammy and Maureen and others for your tirelss pursue of justice and protection of kids………
I second that, Beth.
Please read my new short article, “The Jury Has Spoken! Will The Pope Now Speak?”, including the link therein to my pending NCR comment, “Philly DA’s and Pope’s Next Moves?”, under Brian Roewe’s NCR article today, accessible at:
http://www.bilgrimage.blogspot.com/2012/06/gerald-t-slevin-jury-has-spoken-will.html
pursuit
Interesting, after years of foot dragging and obfuscation and blocking to move the legisltion out of committee, Marisco seems to be implying that the just passed legislation is all his own doing. Sleeze not only in the Vatican and AD, but in all too many polticians who sided with The Church to protect the guilty.
Reid
I know Reid tell me about………can you believe this guy……some how it was his idea all along………public opinion is finally changing and he felt the pressure……..
Marisco IS a slime. I was dumbstruck by his statements… particularly giving the impression that he is some type of hero with his watered-down legislation. Let’s work to “close the window” on his political career!
people now understand how out dated our laws really are and are voicing there concerns and need for change
We can all read through the “I” statements and the obvious, glaring omission of the GJ Reports. It passed.
At least the RCC can’t claim it’s because the politicians are Catholic haters or the media is out to get them. I think it was a smart move to omit the RCC reference. The bills need to be passed…and this isn’t about the RCC…although, they will be greatly affected.
The two year civil window was taken out.
In failing to mention the Grand Jury reports and the priest trial, Marisco brings no attention whatsoever to how the plight of priest victims, the efforts of Catholic advocates, and the evidence and testimony resulting from the priest trial, played into the passing of the legislation. In failing to mention them, he diverts attention away from the sins and crimes of the AD, he protects it, indeed, he rewards it by striking the two-year window it has aggressively lobbied against. Unbelievable!
C4C, in particular, should be incensed!
The last lines of Marsico’s press release say……..”All of us are in agreement that our objective is to do whatever we can to protect children from child sex abuse and to prevent that harm from being visited on any more children.”
They DON’T say that a SOLS ‘ window’ opening up civil litigation for victims might bring forth many many unknown predators….( In CA about 300 new perps were discovered)…so if you really want to protect children Rep. Marsico, you DO NOT TAKE OUT the SOLS window language in 878, rather you. Vigorously support it. Getting hundreds of unknown perps identified REALLY protects kids WHO MIGHT BE THEIR NEXT VICTIMS.
Kate, you said, “In failing to mention them, he diverts attention away from the sins and crimes of the AD, he protects it, indeed, he rewards it by striking the two-year window it has aggressively lobbied against.”
I agree.
I don’t think his intentions are honorable. I only care if he acts. He has to be as slippery as the rest of them to swim in that political pool.
I’m in agreement Joan.
We really need to keep the pressure on Marsico. House Bills 832 & 878 are the ones that need to be discussed and brought to the entire house.
As far as Marsico’s reference to the Task Force established by the governor, while would he want to wait? If I remember correctly, the Task Force was not charged with reviewing criminal or civil statutes regarding the sexual abuse of children but with reviewing and making recommendations on laws involving Mandated Reporters; who is and who should be included, and the penalty for those who do not report.
I think the verdict on Lynn sends a powerful message on the cover-ups in that are and have been going on in a majority of religious denominations and public organizations like Penn State. Seth Williams has 120 days to decide whether or not to retry Brennan. Let’s encourage him to do that as we prepare for the next trial. Unfortunately other secretaries of priest personnel along with Cardinals Krol and Bevilaequa cannot be charged. Why Rigali has not been criminally charged escapes me.
99 percent of those adults sexually abused by anyone will never be able to confront a perp or enabler in a criminal courtroom. Their only access to justice will be in a civil courtroom if a two year civil window is opened.
This is not a Catholic Issue; this is a Child Abuse Issue and I am ashamed that Archbishop Charles Chaput, the bishops of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference continue to viciously oppose SOL reform including the two year civil window.
Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
maturlishmdsnd@yahoo.com
He probably did not mention Lynn so that the legislation would be seen as NOT targeting JUST the Catholic church – but as ALL laws should be — addressed to EVERYONE
I can’t believe Lynn’s lawyer says ‘he’s devastated’. Also, in another write-up there was mention about him appealing the court-decision. Has the media spoken to the victims? If there is more evidence against Fr. Brennan, I hope people have the courage to report it to the police. It is very difficult to break-out of that mob mentality which is a major component during the formation-process for clergy, religious, and laity alike. I think the vatican must be saying: “You tight-lipped catholics. You make us proud.”
Please follow Justice4pakids on facebook for regular updates and calls to action. We have to start calling on Rules Committee Chair Mike Turzai, (717) 772-9943 and ask him to move the SOL bills which are now in his committee.
Maureen could we have that same very effective list of Rules Committee members phone numbers and e mails that Tammy gave Kathy who gave them to Susan who posted them…the ones where you do NOT have to log in to e mail
And a clear sense of the message that should be communicated…Thanks….Joan
I just read a great article which included something I didn’t agree with. It said something to the effect that this is what Lynn’s loyality cost him. The article also discussed “obedience vs Conscience.” I don’t think Lynn’s loyality had anything to do with this. It was his eye on the bigger prize. He knew that PROMOTION would be the prize for his loyalty. He was loyal to the Cardinal for the sake of BEING LOYAL. Everyone was out to get ahead. Protecting the church at the cost of abuse of children was the way to get ahead.
During my high school years, I studied Anthony Trollope’s novel “Barchester Towers”. Though a humorous satire, I was surprised by the politics, corruption, and career-aspirations of the Anglican-clergy, naively believing that this did not happen in the Roman Catholic Church. These recent trials have demonstrated that the RCC are capable of far worse… and that they get away with far worse. Avery gets 2 1/2 to 5 years while Sandusky gets around 60 years with no gag-order during his trial … Brennan gets a mistrial … Lynn is found guilty by one count out of three … perhaps presently appealing for a light sentence with house-arrest in a P & P Program … or, at the very least, for isolated, comfortable jail accommodation, a sort of sabbatical, where he can put together some books, with the support family, friends, and parishioners, on ‘the persecuted church’… Do the clergy believe the doctrine that they have fed us … the life-after-death scenario of a sinful life? The Sandusky Trial was fast, just, and compensated the victims, while the Priests-Trial was lengthy and included a plea-deal, gag-order, confusion over conspiracy-definitions, hung-jury, felon awaiting sentencing, and no compensation for the victims. I wonder if there is a web-site that reports child sexual-abuse trials/sentencing for secular persons vs clergy-members. I wonder how prisoners serving long-terms for child sexual-abuse view this. I hope victims receive justice through healing, closure and compensation. I believe the victims.