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Legislator Proposes New Law to Curb Sex Abuse

TOLEDO -- A northwest Ohio legislator is doing what she can to help victims of sexual abuse and a national victim's rights group is cheering her on. Claudia Vercelotti from Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests wants see a change in Ohio law when it comes to child sexual abuse victims.

"Ohio civil law right now, unfortunately, favors child molesters," said Vercellotti. Her champion is Senator Teresa Fedor. "I believe this is even more important issue than the child labor laws that we addressed 100 years ago," said Fedor.

In 1999 the criminal law was strengthened, so anyone who was 18 years old had 20 years to report sexual abuse. Currently, the civil law only allows two years past age 18.

Here's what Fedor wants to propose: "We want to mirror the criminal law with the statute of limitations for civil law," said Fedor. She says extending it back 20 years would be a benefit because, "It would be justice for the victims and unearth some of these child predators."

Vercellotti says a perfect example of this is what happened with former catholic priest Dennis Gray. In 2002, a group of men filed lawsuits against Gray and the Toledo Catholic Diocese claiming Gray molested them.

Those cases were settled out of court, but once those cases were filed, other victims came forward. "When victims come forward and civil actions are filed, there's a record--and more important there's discovery. And by this process of discovery more important information can come out, public depositions, documents are brought forward and more victims come forward," said Vercellotti.

Fedor believes changing the civil law will stop what she calls "a culture of child sex abuse." "It's being discovered that we have many perpetrators moving from church to church, church to hospital, hospital to other countries. Country, to countries," said Fedor. "We know the average child molester can have 80-100 victims conservatively in a lifetime and the recidivism rate is high. The perpetrators are very difficult to rehabilitate," said Vercellotti.

Fedor says this isn't about attacking the catholic church, it's about protecting our children. She will spend the next few months crafting the legislation to make sure it will be fair and that it will garner bi-partisan support.

Feder co-sponsored a separate bill with Senator Robert Spada. It's known as SB17. It would mandate clergy be reporters of child sexual abuse in all circumstances. That bill is currently in committee.

Posted by AEB