McGeehan, Rozzi amendments would expose child sexual abuse, perpetrators

Saying the net effect would be exposing child sexual abuse and its hidden perpetrators, state Reps.Michael P. McGeehan, D-Phila., and Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, this week rallied support for their amendments to establish a window for filing civil lawsuits in cases where that ability has legally expired.McGeehan and Rozzi said many child predators and the institutions that protected them have escaped detection and justice over the years simply because the statute of limitations blocks legal action against them. They said their amendments to H.B. 342 would remove that roadblock.

McGeehan’s Amendment 188 would open a two-year window for victims to file civil charges in cases where the statute of limitations has expired – and would suspend the sovereign immunity that protects school and government officials from prosecution in such cases.