Why we need to Repeal Statutes of Limitations on Rape and Other Sex Crimes:

Evidence from the Abuse Epidemic in Boston Archdiocese

§            In his Report on the Sexual Abuse of Children in the Archdiocese of Boston (2003), Attorney General Tom Reilly found that between 1950 and 2002, at least 250 Boston-area priests and church employees had been accused of sexually molesting hundreds of minors.

§            Only a tiny fraction of these child molesters were ever brought to trial even though plenty of evidence was available to take many more off the street.

Q & A on the clergy sex abuse crisis in the Commonwealth:

Why have so few of the priests who preyed on the children of Massachusetts ever been held responsible for their crimes?

Because statutes of limitations had already expired by the time that most of their victims could speak out.

How were serial predators such as James Porter, John Geoghan, and Paul Shanley originally exposed to public view?

A handful of their victims came forward to warn the public even though statutes of limitations prevented them from bringing charges against the priests who had abused them.

Hundreds of predatory priests now roam the streets of Massachusetts and other states.  What can be done to make sure that these confirmed molesters are not hurting other kids?

Virtually nothing can be done to protect our children if prosecutors allow existing statutes of limitations to govern their response to clergy sex crimes.

What do prosecutors, lawmakers, and other officials in our state have to say?

§              "We're very concerned that the laws, as written today, may allow some people to escape their obligations,' said Rep. Ronald Mariano, D-Quincy, one of the sponsors of a bill to eliminate statutes of limitations (Worcester Telegram, 4/9/03).

§              Governor Mitt Romney said that church leaders responsible for protecting abusive priests should be jailed and vowed to have his own legal counsel conduct a review to see whether there was any way to bring criminal indictments. ''People need to go to jail for what happened here,'' Romney said (Boston Globe, 7/25/03).

§              The statute of limitations for rape crimes needs to be eliminated because victims, who often struggle for years to cope with the pain inflicted upon them, should not be prevented from seeking justice because they are not able to participate in prosecution efforts within a set time period, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley told lawmakers at State House hearing last week (Mass.gov, 7/22/02).

§              ''Whether [abuse] happened 10 or 15 or 20 or 30 years ago, if the evidence is there and it's a strong case, there should be nothing to put an obstacle in the way of going forward with a criminal prosecution,'' said state Senator Cheryl Jacques, a Needham Democrat (Boston Globe, 6/27/02).