IN THE NEWS-2023
To see a yearly archive of CHILD USA in the news, click a year from below
Child-Porn Claim From Nirvana ‘Nevermind’ Image Revived by Court
BLOOMBERGLAW | DECEMBER 21, 2023
Nirvana shouldn’t have so easily escaped a child pornography lawsuit as time-barred because republication of the “Nevermind” album cover represented a new offense within the law’s statute of limitations, the Ninth Circuit said.
O’Connor Taught Clerks to Think Broadly About the Law, Themselves
BLOOMBERGLAW| DECEMBER 04, 2023
Former clerks of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor reflect on her pragmatic view of the law, her lessons on living a full life, and her modeling of excellence, strength, and kindness.
Sandra Day O’Connor, the US Supreme Court’s first female justice, died Dec. 1 at 93 in Phoenix. She was appointed to the court by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 and served until 2006.
Several of her former law clerks reflect on their experiences clerking for O’Connor. They remember her grounded approach to the law, how she modeled a commitment to excellence in her work, and the importance of taking a break to see the cherry blossoms bloom.
Ex-Christ School student claims sexual abuse by Asheville teacher, bullying by students
AOL| NOVEMBER 13, 2023
Warning: This story contains descriptions of child sexual abuse.
Thomas “Tom” Hill said he was 13 years old the first time his math teacher touched him.
It was 1974 and Hill was an eighth-grader at the private, all-boys Christ School, a Christian preparatory boarding school in Arden. Hill said he and the teacher were driving to a store in Fletcher to get hiking boots, when his teacher reached over and grabbed the inside of his groin.
The second time it happened, about six months later, Hill said, it wasn’t just an inappropriate touch, but a rape.
The Donna Drake Show
NWNJ | NOVEMBER 4, 2023
The research and the data that we now know, coming out of organizations like CHILD USA, is that most survivors of child sexual abuse don’t disclose their abuse until they’re in their 50s.
Can church groups and Louisville be sued on old child sex abuse claims? Court to decide
Yahoo News| OCTOBER 24, 2023
Adopted at age 2 by Louisville Police Officer Sean Jackman — who eventually rose to lieutenant — Samantha Killary later alleged that he sexually abused her throughout her childhood, stopping only when she turned 18 in 2009.After she secretly recorded him admitting the abuse and apologizing for it, he pleaded guilty to multiple sex offenses and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, which he is still serving.She also sued him as well as other defendants, namely former Officer Linda Thompson, whom Jackman dated from 2001 to 2003, and his father, former Detective Sgt. Rick Jackman. She alleged both knew of the abuse and failed to report it, as required by law.
WPWR Chicago, Illinois
WPWR| OCTOBER 23, 2023
So that has very much led the way in this regard. So you probably have worked with MARCI HAMILTON a little bit, or interviewed her. I’ve absolutely interviewed MARCI HAMILTON. She’s an incredible figure and she’s very, very much led the charge on the repeal of sexual abuse limitations across the country. And as a Marcy will tell you, that has happened in a number of states. It’s happened to different degrees than once is one of the most complete. Whether it’s a retroactive appeal in other states, there’s a temporary stay in a sense of limitations. But because of the good work of MARCI HAMILTON and her organization, that fight is very much still underway. And briefly, could you tell us who these children were, why they were placed in the orphanage?
U.S. Tennis accused of downplaying sexual abuse and trying to silence Pam Shriver
The Athletic| OCTOBER 5, 2023
The United States Tennis Association is defending itself against allegations that one of its top lawyers has repeatedly tried to cover up sexual abuse, including warning the 22-time Grand Slam champion and abuse survivor Pam Shriver to show caution when she discussed the issue. On Monday, Stevie Gould, a former college player, who successfully sued the USTA in 2020 over its failure to protect young players in California from a known sexual predator now serving a 255-year prison sentence, filed a complaint with the U.S. Center for Safesport seeking punishment for Staciellen Mischel, the USTA’s deputy chief legal officer and the top lawyer for the USTA Foundation, for her actions in both his case and another involving a predatory tennis coach.
Forced kiss claim leads to ‘helplessness’ for accuser who turned to Olympics abuse-fighting agency
ABC News| OCTOBER 2, 2023
When Kirsten Hawkes, a one-time elite fencer, reached out to her childhood coach for advice about starting her own fencing club, their meeting turned awkward right away. It began, she said, with an unwanted kiss on the lips when the two met at a bar during a fencing tournament in Minneapolis last October. A few hours later, as she and the coach were saying good-bye, Hawkes said he forcibly kissed her — “stuck his tongue in my mouth,” she told investigators.
SafeSport Forced Kiss
Clinton Herald| OCTOBER 1, 2023
Marci Hamilton, founder and CEO of advocacy group Child USA, testifies during The Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. At the September hearing by a congressionally appointed committee looking into the U.S. Center for SafeSport, witnesses took special aim at the center’s arbitration process. “It has routinely resulted in re-traumatization of victims and reversal of well-founded claims,” said Hamilton of Child USA.
Maryland’s Child Victims Act takes effect: What to expect in the days ahead
The Daily Record | OCTOBER 1, 2023
For the first time in Maryland, survivors of childhood sexual abuse can now sue perpetrators and the institutions that protected them without concern for how long ago the abuse happened. Maryland’s Child Victims Act, which eliminated the statute of limitations for civil sexual abuse claims, officially goes into effect Sunday, Oct. 1, though courthouses are closed until Monday.
V.I.’s $75M Settlement Against JPMorgan Chase Hailed as ‘Groundbreaking’
St. Thomas Source| SEPTEMBER 26, 2023
The U.S. Virgin Islands on Tuesday reached a $75 million settlement with JPMorgan Chase over the bank’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein in a deal that has been hailed as groundbreaking for its use of the federal Victims Protection Act by a state attorney general. The agreement comes less than a month before they were to go to trial on Oct. 23 in a lawsuit that exposed embarrassing and lurid details on both sides.
U.S. Virgin Islands cozied up to Jeffrey Epstein. Now they’re profiting from his sex crimes
Miami Herald| SEPTEMBER 25, 2023
For two decades, the U.S. Virgin Islands’ most prominent government and elected officials — as well as their pet charities, educational institutions and causes — were paid millions of dollars by Jeffrey Epstein in the form of salaries, campaign contributions and consultant fees. His most trusted employee was the U.S. territory’s first lady.
Boy Scouts survivors call on state to change law before time runs out for settlement
NBC 4 | SEPTEMBER 21, 2023
Survivors of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of Boy Scouts of America leaders each have thousands of dollars on the line – and potentially days to claim what they’re owed. If the Ohio Senate does not soon pass a bill entitling survivors to their full amounts granted under the Boy Scouts’ $2.7 billion bankruptcy settlement, nearly 2,000 survivors from Ohio will lose out on more than half of their settlement amounts. At a committee hearing Wednesday morning, Boy Scouts survivors and advocates pleaded with lawmakers to forward the Scout’s Honor Law to the Senate floor, with an emergency provision so it can take effect upon signing.
Scott Berkowitz and RAINN File Amicus Brief in Support of Ohio State University Survivors
Legal Scoops | AUGUST 30, 2023
In a ruling that offered a ray of hope for survivors of sexual abuse, the Supreme Court refused to hear a case that sought to overthrow a lower court ruling allowing former Ohio State University students to sue the school for failing to protect them from staffer Richard Strauss, a doctor for the wrestling team accused of molesting student-athletes from the mid-1970s to the late 1990s. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) and its founder and president Scott Berkowitz were there to help by filing an amicus brief in support.
The Court’s Pause: A Necessary Change for Victims
VERDICT | AUGUST 22, 2023
Some changes in the law are better late than never. In 1978, Congress passed the Bankruptcy Reform Act, which created Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In short, Chapter 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code system was designed for those honest businesses who fell on hard times. It gave them a new day. The law allows a company to continue its day-to-day operations through the reorganization process and ultimately protects the business from the weight of its creditors.
Window for proposed child sex abuse amendment closes for 2023
Spotlight PA | AUGUST 17, 2023
Survivors of childhood sexual abuse must continue waiting for their day in court after the Pennsylvania General Assembly failed to meet the deadline to get a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot. This failure continues nearly two decades of idleness, intrigues, and slip-ups that have blocked a measure that would give thousands of survivors a two-year window to seek monetary damages against their abusers and the institutions that shielded the accused. The window is necessary because the statute of limitations for those individuals to file suit expired.
Here’s how religious institutions can prevent child abuse
Christian Post | AUGUST 9, 2023
An Illinois Attorney General report recently revealed that more than 450 Illinois Catholic priests sexually abused nearly 2,000 children since 1950. The news was gut-wrenching — and, tragically, all too familiar. In recent years, nearly every faith tradition seems to have been rocked by child sex abuse scandals.
Proposed relief for child sex abuse survivors won’t reach ballot in 2023
BCTV.org| AUGUST 7, 2023
Survivors of childhood sexual abuse must continue waiting for their day in court after the Pennsylvania General Assembly failed to meet the deadline to get a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot. This failure continues nearly two decades of idleness, intrigues, and slip-ups that have blocked a measure that would give thousands of survivors a two-year window to seek monetary damages against their abusers and the institutions that shielded the accused. The window is necessary because the statute of limitations for those individuals to file suit expired.
Más de 20 estados han reformado sus estatutos de limitaciones por abuso infantil
La Prensa De Colorado| AUGUST 4, 2023
En los casi cinco años transcurridos desde que un informe explosivo del gran jurado descubrió que miles de niños fueron abusados sexualmente a manos del clero católico romano en Pensilvania, más de 20 estados han aprobado leyes que facilitan que las víctimas inicien acciones civiles contra sus abusadores y los instituciones que los protegieron. En Pensilvania, sin embargo, los esfuerzos para crear una ventana de dos años para que las víctimas presenten demandas civiles basadas en alegaciones de hace décadas han fracasado repetidamente.
One year post-Dobbs, what’s actually happened?
Penn Today | AUGUST 1 2023
June 24 marked one year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade after nearly half a century. That decision, stemming from the case Dobbs v. Jackson, gave states the right to make their own decisions about abortion access. Many have since sought to restrict or ban abortion altogether, says Marci Hamilton, a professor of practice and founder and CEO of the nonprofit think tank CHILD USA.
Marci A. Hamilton: Time to open window for sex abuse survivors
Trib Live| JULY 26, 2023
Who takes their car to a mechanic, learns what repairs are needed and walks out without getting the actual work done? Who goes to a doctor, gets a diagnosis and leaves without pain relievers, a prescription or a referral to physical therapy? No one, right? But isn’t this really what’s happening in Pennsylvania when it comes to the sexual abuse of children?
As The Bishop Watched, The Abusive “Father Ned” Was Given A New Assignment
Shepherd Gazette| JULY 24, 2023
A Roman Catholic bishop who last month apologized to his congregation for the “misguided and inappropriate decisions of church leaders” reckons his own role – revealed a decade ago in a federal court – in the system that protected pedophile priests. Bishop of Scranton Joseph Bambera handled three cases of sexual misconduct during his three-year tenure as diocesan vicar for clergy. He testified about one of them in a 2007 civil lawsuit alleging clerical abuse.
UPDATED: Which U.S. Dioceses Have Declared Bankruptcy? Here’s a Map
NC Register| JULY 24, 2023
The Diocese of Ogdensburg, New York became the sixth in the state to declare bankruptcy last week, following almost 140 sexual abuse lawsuits for incidents dating back decades filed under the state’s Child Victims Act. Now, only the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn have not filed for bankruptcy as a result of the legislation. More than two dozen U.S. dioceses, including two in U.S. overseas territories, have entered into bankruptcy proceedings, the vast majority in the past decade. Of those dioceses, 12 are in the midst of the proceedings as of July 2023, while 17 have completed the process.
Lt. Gov. Davis says legislation needed to address gun violence, current approach isn’t enough
90.5 FM| JULY 18, 2023
Legislation that could open a two-year window in the statute of limitations for survivors of sexual abuse in the state of Pennsylvania is also in limbo. The expansion of a window has been proposed as a constitutional amendment, and as a bill, and both are stalled. Marci Hamilton, founder and CEO of Child USA — a nonprofit working to end child abuse and neglect — says she would like to see Pennsylvania be more like other states that have opened an even broader window for survivors. (13:49 – 22:30)
’25 child protection units established in various districts’
Daily Times| JULY 17, 2023
Child Protection & Welfare Bureau Chairperson Sarah Ahmad, on Sunday said that 25 child protection units had been established in various districts of Punjab. Talking to APP, Sarah Ahmad said the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) was committed to further extending the scope of its services to all districts, ensuring effective protection of child rights across the province.
Victims of child sexual abuse are being denied justice once again | Opinion Here’s what you need to know
Penn Live| JULY 15, 2023
It’s been five years since a grand jury report in Pennsylvania found that thousands of children were abused by priests and administrators of the Roman Catholic church. This eye-opening report put Pennsylvania at the epicenter of a national movement to identify predators and to protect victims. In fact, there has been a flood of legislation throughout the country since 2018.
More than 20 states have reformed their statutes of limitations for childhood abuse, but Pa. still hasn’t. Here’s what you need to know
Philadelphia Inquirer| JULY 13, 2023
In the nearly five years since a bombshell grand jury report found that thousands of children were sexually abused at the hands of Roman Catholic clergy in Pennsylvania, more than 20 states have passed legislation making it easier for victims to pursue civil action against their abusers and the institutions that protected them. In Pennsylvania, however, efforts to create a two-year window for victims to file civil lawsuits based on decades-old allegations have repeatedly failed.
Criminal charges in child sex abuse cases while amendment stalls
ABC 27 | JULY 7, 2023
Pennsylvania’s attorney general announced charges Friday against five men in child sex abuse cases across the state. At the same time, advocacy groups are calling on the governor to give survivors another path to justice. The five men charged are all members of the Jehovah’s Witness community, and the charges stem from an ongoing grand jury investigation. Advocates say many more survivors are waiting for their day in court, but that requires the governor — and state lawmakers — to act.
Five members of Jehovah’s Witnesses arrested for sexual assault, AG announces
FOX 43| JULY 7, 2023
Five members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization have been charged with sexual assault and exploitation of children, Attorney General Michelle Henry announced on Friday. In each case, the defendants and victims were members of Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations. “All five men had the trust of the victims and their families, and all five men were members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation and many of them gained access to their victims through this organization,” Henry said.
Ohio survivors of Boy Scout sex abuse antsy over stalled reform bill
NBC 4| JULY 6, 2023
For almost a year, nearly 2,000 survivors of childhood sexual abuse under the Boy Scouts of America’s care have awaited the chance to recoup their fair share of the scouting organization’s $2.7 billion bankruptcy agreement. But some survivors said insurance companies and the Ohio Senate with its summer vacation have delayed their shot at justice. Lawmakers have until next April to pass a law ensuring Ohio survivors are entitled to equal amounts as those in other U.S. states, according to California-based attorney Andrew Van Arsdale, and the clock is ticking.
Law giving child sex abuse victims time to sue struck down by Colorado Supreme Court
Legal Newsline | JUNE 21, 2023
The Colorado Supreme Court has declared a 2021 law that allowed certain victims of child sexual abuse a chance to file lawsuits unconstitutional. That’s because it violates a prohibition from the state’s constitution on “retrospective legislation,” the court ruled in a June 20 decision regarding the Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act. That law allowed victims whose cases were previously past the statute of limitations to file them anyway.
The sleeper legal strategy that could topple abortion bans
Politico | JUNE 21, 2023
“We have a really strong Establishment Clause argument because it’s clear that these bills were passed for religious reasons,” said Marci Hamilton, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Pennsylvania who is part of the legal team representing clergy in Florida. “The 15-week bill was signed in a church and members of the state legislature repeatedly referred to God when arguing why this had to be done.”
New Kansas law helps child sex abuse survivors — but it has two crucial omissions | Opinion
Kansa City Star | JUNE 16, 2023
On June 25, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly ceremonially signed S.B. 2127, a bill intended to advance the cause of justice for victims of child sex abuse. This legislation received unanimous support in both chambers thanks to the tireless advocacy of survivors. As a state representative and attorney who has represented survivors of child sex abuse and human trafficking for over a decade, I was one of the legislators who pushed for the bill’s passage.
Metro Monitor NewsTracker Report
WGBH-PBS | JUNE 20, 2023
Abdallah: next up, most survivors of childhood sexual abuse do not come forward until decades later, if ever. The average survivor does not speak up until age 52, according to the organization, CHILD USA, often too late to take their abuser to court. Survivors must file a lawsuit within 35 years of abuse or within seven years of discovering emotional or psychological damage caused by it. A legislature plans to get rid of the statute of limitations.
Attorneys of alleged YDC victims call for changes in settlement process
WMUR 9 ABC| JUNE 13, 2023
Attorneys representing many of the people suing New Hampshire over alleged abuse that happened at the state-run Youth Detention Center and other facilities are asking officials to change how it’s handling the settlement process.
Delayed justice: 3 states remove all time limits on child sex abuse lawsuits
ABC News | JUNE 8, 2023
Ann Allen loved going to church and the after-school social group led by a dynamic priest back in the 1960s. The giggling fun with friends always ended with a game of hide and seek. Each week, the Rev. Lawrence Sabatino chose one girl to hide with him. Allen said when it was her turn, she was sexually assaulted, at age 7, in the recesses of St. Peter’s Catholic Church.
Amish, Mennonite survivors of childhood sexual assault join others to fight for a chance for justice
Penn Live | JUNE 7, 2023
As survivors of child sexual abuse gathered on the front steps of the Pennsylvania Capitol to advocate for the passage of legislation allowing legal action against sexual abusers, Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks County, offered a fitting opening remark: “Here we go again.”
Give sexual abuse survivors more time to file civil suits, advocates argue
M Live | JUNE 7, 2023
In response to two nationally-known abuse scandals and the ongoing societal ill of sexual assault, TTUN lawmakers want to nearly double the statute of limitations for civil action in cases of sexual abuse. The idea is part of a six-bill package that continues revamped efforts in the statehouse to bolster rights for abuse survivors after revelations Larry Nassar and Robert Anderson, former sports doctors at TTUN State University and the University of TTUN, respectively, sexually assaulted patients for years.
Rozzi joined by childhood sexual abuse victims, advocates, fellow lawmakers urge Senate to vote on statute of limitation reform
PA House Democrats | JUNE 5, 2023
State Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, stood on Harrisburg’s Capitol steps today alongside Caleb Kauffman, Lancaster County victim and advocate; Chairwoman Rep. Maureen Madden, D-Monroe; Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes, D-Allegheny; cast members of Peacock’s “Sins of the Amish;” and several other victims and advocates who together called for justice for childhood sexual abuse survivors.
Catholic Churches in California Face Thousands of Sexual Abuse Lawsuits, Allowed Victims to Sue Up to 40 Years Old
Christianity Daily | MAY 27, 2023
The Catholic Churches in California is currently being targeted in thousands of legal actions due to a change in the legislation that took effect in 2019 and permits victims to pursue legal action against priest abusers up to the age of 40. As a result, several Catholic churches decided to file for bankruptcy.
Parmadale victims’ fund on hold; motion filed to dismiss due to statute of limitations
ABC News 5 | MAY 25, 2023
There are some big developments for people who said they were abused at the former home for children called Parmadale. The assistance fund designed to help victims is now on hold.
Change in state law reveals decades-old allegation of sexual abuse by Vallejo high school wrestling coach
Vallejo Sun | MAY 24, 2023
As she was moving a few years ago, Grace found a box full of photos, letters, and cards from when she was a student at Vallejo’s Hogan High School in the 1980s. The school shut down years ago, and the box was unopened for nearly two decades.
Radio Programming With Alan Perer on SOL Reform
KDKA | MAY 24, 2023
“Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean you have to educate your kids. I mean it’s even on the internet now. You know I was at a seminar for CHILD USA and even on the internet, these predators infiltrate the games the kids play and get these kids to do things. First of all you have to stop these sites on the internet, but you have to educate your kids.”
Child sex abuse: Trauma lasts forever. Hold abusers accountable now
AL.com| MAY 19, 2023
“Some of us went to the district attorney shortly after graduating high school. It was already too late according to the law. There’s an expiration date on accountability but no expiration date on trauma.” – Lanier Isom, Birmingham journalist, author and child sex abuse survivor.
She had multiple abortions as a child. Her abuser didn’t expect what came later
San Fransisco Chronicle| MAY 18, 2023
Ruth Elizabeth Solorzano gazed out the car window as her stepfather went over her new fake name. Other times, on the six-hour drive from eastern Sacramento County, he’d point out interstate signs and suggest they choose an alias that way. Like it was a game. This time Ruth would be “Elisa Sanchez,” a play off her middle name and her grandmother’s surname.
Bill inspired by sexual abuse allegations at Kanakuk Kamps dies in Missouri legislature
Missouri Indpendent| MAY 18, 2023
A legislative push to extend the statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil action failed this year — despite mounting evidence in Missouri and nationally that abuse can take years to come to light.
Survivors of sexual assault may get more time to sue
WOOD TV| MAY 14, 2023
Survivors of sexual assault would have decades to sue for damages if a sprawling set of bills overhauling TTUN’s statute of limitations becomes law. It’s an effort to give survivors more time to come forward and seek damages in civil court for their abuse.
Despite 150-0 vote in MO House, bill giving sex abuse victims more time unlikely to pass
Springfield News Leader| MAY 11, 2023
Despite bipartisan support in the Missouri House, legislation supported by victims of sexual abuse at Branson’s Kanakuk camps appears unlikely to be passed into law this year. House Bill 367, which aims to make it easier for childhood sexual abuse to take their abusers to court by extending the statute of limitations 10 years, received unanimous approval in the state House of Representatives on Friday.
Former Jehovah’s Witness Now Aides Grand Jury
FOX 43 | MAY 3, 2023
Broadcast Date: 03 May 2023
Time: 04:00 AM
Source: WPMT
Network: FOX
Market: Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, PA
Title: FOX 43 Morning News at 4 AM
Advocates push for reform in sexual assault cases
WILX 10| APRIL 27, 2023
Many sexual assault survivors hoping to change TTUN law to help survivors. Proposals introduced in the state legislature would greatly expand the statute of limitations, giving victims of sexual abuse more time to seek justice. Currently, TTUN only allows victims, who were sexually assaulted as a child, to come forward before their 28th birthday. “Everybody needs the opportunity to heal,” said Triena Gonczar, Larry Nassar survivor.
New TTUN bills could give sexual abuse survivors more time to sue
Bridge TTUN | APRIL 27, 2023
Former gymnast Trinea Gonczar was 8 years old when the abuse from her doctor began. And in the next 10 years, she said she was sexually assaulted more than 850 times. But Gonczar kept quiet until she turned 37 in 2018. “I was … heavily groomed into believing that what was happening to me was with the intention to help me compete,” Gonczar, a former gymnast and survivor of now-convicted child molester Larry Nassar, told reporters at a Thursday press conference in Lansing.
This advocate says Arizona’s Supreme Court went too far in protecting church confessional privilege
Fronteras| APRIL 27, 2023
The Arizona Supreme Court earlier this month ruled a clergy member was allowed to keep information gathered during a confession confidential and was not required to alert law enforcement. The case involved a Bisbee man who confessed to a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Church that he sexually abused his young daughters, one of whom was an infant at the time. The bishop did not tell police, and church officials told the bishop to keep the confession confidential.
Congresswomen introduce legislation to empower child sex abuse survivors
Augusta Free Press| APRIL 27, 2023
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month in the United States. An estimated more than 80 percent of child victims never report their abuse to authorities, and many claims expire before victims are ready to take their cases to court. Approximately 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 13 boys suffer child sexual abuse.
Lawmakers to propose 9 bills to increase statute of limitations on sexual assault cases
WXYZ Detroit| APRIL 26, 2023
As a young child all the way through college at the University of Oklahoma, gymnastics was McKenzie Wofford’s life. “Started at the age of 3 years old, got competitive pretty quick, doing 40 hours a week by age 10,” Wofford said. She spent years training at the Karolyi Ranch in Texas, a former USA gymnastics training center where Larry Nassar often worked with young gymnasts.
Survivors want accountability and transparency. They’ve waited long enough
Pennsylvania Captial Star| APRIL 26, 2023
As lawmakers return to Harrisburg this week, it is imperative that they prioritize passing window legislation that will allow victims of childhood sexual abuse to seek justice against perpetrators and the institutions that enabled them. As an attorney, I have received innumerable phone calls from adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The calls are all too familiar – they are reaching out because they finally have the strength to talk about what happened to them as a child, and they want to seek justice through the court system.
Prosecutors aided Baltimore archdiocese in hiding abuse by priests in Anne Arundel and across state, report shows
Capital Gazette| APRIL 21, 2023
In 1985, completing a church-directed evaluation, a doctor described Father William Q. Simms as being attracted to the “innocence, gracefulness and liveliness” of young boys around him.
Though parents had voiced their concerns about “some unusual behavior,” as the Archdiocese of Baltimore phrased it before ordering treatment, health care providers at the St. Luke Institute in Silver Spring stopped short of calling Simms a pedophile.
Guest column: Lawmakers had a chance to stand with survivors. They failed
Bozeman Daily Chronicle| APRIL 14, 2023
Local Reps. Jennifer Carlson, Caleb Hinkle, and Jedediah Hinkle, and 10 other Republicans on the Montana House Judiciary Committee, recently voted against sending Montana Senate Bill 277 to the House floor for a full vote. This bill would have eliminated restrictions limiting survivors of child sexual abuse from suing persons or organizations that harmed them. Under current law an adult survivor must file suit prior to age 27, or “not later than three years after the plaintiff discovers or reasonably should have discovered that the injury was caused by the act of childhood sexual abuse.”
Maryland Lawmakers Approve Bill to Remove Time Limit on Child Sex Abuse Suits
Insurance Journal| APRIL 11, 2023
Maryland lawmakers have passed a bill to end the state’s statute limiting when civil lawsuits over child sex abuse can be filed against public and private entities. Under the Child Victims Act of 2023, actions for damages arising out of alleged incidents of sexual abuse against minors may be filed at any time. Currently, Marylanders who say they were sexually abused as children can’t sue after they reach the age of 38.
Law Will End Time Limit On Maryland Child Sex Abuse Lawsuits
Associated Press| APRIL 11, 2023
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signs a bill to end the state’s statute of limitations for when lawsuits can be filed against institutions for child sexual abuse during a ceremony on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Annapolis, Md. Senate President Bill Ferguson is seated left, and House Speaker Adrienne Jones is seated right. Standing from right are Del. Luke Clippinger, Sen. Will Smith and Del. C.T. Wilson, the bill’s House sponsor who is standing behind the governor.
Colorado Supreme Court faces ‘difficult’ question of whether to shut window on child sex abuse survivors
Colorado Politics| APRIL 6, 2023
The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday stared down two possibilities: If it deems a 2021 law designed to help survivors of childhood sex abuse unconstitutional, many victims will have no avenue to hold their abusers or the institutions that harbored them legally liable.
My Report on the Baltimore Report
Verdict | APRIL 7, 2023
You can read it now. The Attorney General’s Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. It is an incriminating story, based on a Baltimore grand jury investigation, telling the “incontrovertible history . . . one of pervasive and persistent abuse by priests and other Archdiocese personnel. It is also a history of repeated dismissal or cover up of that abuse by the Catholic Church hierarchy.
This U.S. lawmaker spent 8 years fighting for child sex abuse victims — because he was one
CBC Radio| APRIL 6, 2023
C.T. Wilson has been telling the story of his childhood sex abuse for eight years, reliving his trauma again and again. Wilson is a Democratic member of the Maryland House of Delegates who, for nearly a decade, has been trying to end his state’s statute of limitations on sex abuse lawsuits. During that long fight, he has repeatedly stood in front of his colleagues to detail the abuse he says he faced at the hands of his adoptive father.
Baltimore Archdiocese Long Failed to Protect Children Abused by Catholic Priests, State Report Says
Wall Street Journal| APRIL 5, 2023
Scores of priests and other people affiliated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore sexually abused hundreds of children over more than 60 years, and church officials often protected the perpetrators while keeping their crimes a secret, Maryland’s attorney general said in a new report.
Kansas bill expands statute of limitations on child sexual abuse
KWCH| APRIL 4, 2023
Among action taken this week by Kansas lawmakers is the advancement of a bill that gives survivors of childhood sexual abuse more time to take legal action. It’s a change sought by a coalition of survivors, including those of clergy abuse who came up against the statute of limitations to file a case in court.
New child sex abuse law faces constitutional challenge in Colorado Supreme Court
The Denver Post| APRIL 4, 2023
The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday considered whether a new state law that created a three-year window for people to sue over years-old childhood sexual abuse violates the state constitution.
Pa House Lawmakers Hear Testimony on Two-Year Window for Childhood Sex Abuse Victims
ErieNewsNow| MARCH 31, 2023
Legislation that would provide a two-year window for victims of childhood sexual assault to file civil lawsuits against their abuser, passed the House earlier this year. The Senate also passed a bill to do the same, but combined it with controversial proposals.
Alabama bill would extend statute of limitations for child sex abuse cases to 36 years
Alabama Reflector| MARCH 31, 2023
An Alabama lawmaker has filled a bill that would extend the time that victims of child sex abuse can bring civil suits. The bill, SB 127, sponsored by Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, would extend the statute of limitations from six years to 36 years after the victim has turned 19.
Filmmaker Jennifer Fox Says Olympic Rowing Legend Ted Nash Sexually Abused Her as a Child
Web Exclusive| MARCH 30, 2023
Jennifer Fox is a writer and director who made the 2018 Emmy-nominated film called The Tale. It’s a narrative memoir about her own reckoning with childhood sexual abuse.
Child sex abuse survivors frustrated by Pennsylvania lawmakers’ failure to pass lawsuit window bill
WGAL| MARCH 30, 2023
Survivors of child sexual abuse in Pennsylvania say enough is enough: They don’t want lawmakers to waste any more time in passing legislation to let them sue their abusers and some institutions, no matter when the abuse happens. This measure to establish a lawsuit window has been proposed and passed before, either stalling out in one chamber or being derailed because of bureaucratic incompetenc
Federal Bankruptcy Law Is Toxic for Child Sex Abuse Victims
Marci A. Hamilton| MARCH 30, 2023
This month, the dioceses of Albany and Oakland publicly acknowledged that they may soon file for bankruptcy protection. Last month, the diocese of Santa Rosa, California, actually took that step. A total of 31 Catholic entities are in or have sought Chapter 11 proceedings. Other large, popular, and powerful groups have done likewise, notably the Boys Scouts of America and USA Gymnastics.
HIP-HOP MUSEUM PROTEST: Afrika Bambaataa affiliation questioned
Amsterdam News| MARCH 30, 2023
It’s been years since the disturbing allegations of pedophilia and child abuse against musician Lance Taylor, aka Afrika Bambaataa, and his Universal Zulu Nation organization were brought to light. A decision in the sex trafficking lawsuit against him is still pending.
New transcripts reveal Buffalo bishops’ most extensive comments on roles in clergy abuse cover-up
Buffalo News| MARCH 30, 2023
Bishop Richard J. Malone testified about being shocked and “very concerned” to discover that the Buffalo Diocese hadn’t forwarded credible allegations of clergy sex abuse of minors to the Vatican, per the terms of a 2001 church law. But when pressed by a state prosecutor in 2019 about when exactly he learned the cases hadn’t been forward and who told him or how he learned about it, Malone struggled to remember.
Kansas moves to help survivors pursue child sex abuse claims
Yahoo News| MARCH 30, 2023
Abuse survivors and advocates who’ve pushed for legislation making it easier in Kansas to prosecute abusers and file lawsuits decades later have achieved a breakthrough in the Legislature, where the proposal is advancing quickly.
Child advocates lobby Pa. lawmakers to open retroactive window, allow civil lawsuits in sex abuse cases
The Item| MARCH 29, 2023
Child advocates lobby Pa. lawmakers to open retroactive window, allow civil lawsuits in sex abuse cases. Marci Hamilton, founder and CEO of CHILD USA, said during a House Judiciary Committee hearing that without the window temporarily lifting the statute of limitations, pedophiles remain hidden and potentially a threat.
Filmmaker calls on Penn to remove former coach’s name from rowing center after sexual assault allegations
Daily Pennsylvania| MARCH 29, 2023
A filmmaker who said she was sexually assaulted by a former Penn rowing coach is calling on the University to remove his name from a center dedicated in his honor. Jennifer Fox, an award-winning filmmaker, alleged that she was sexually abused by former Penn rowing coach Ted Nash when she was 13 years old.
Child advocates lobby Pa. lawmakers to open retroactive window, allow civil lawsuits in sex abuse cases
The Herald| MARCH 29, 2023
Marci Hamilton, founder and CEO of CHILD USA, said during a House Judiciary Committee hearing that without the window temporarily lifting the statute of limitations, pedophiles remain hidden and potentially a threat.
Pa. House panel hears testimony on sexual abuse limitations window as legislation’s future remains uncertain
Penn Live| MARCH 29, 2023
The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee held a hearing Wednesday on bills that would allow for constitutional amendments opening a statute of limitations window for child sex abuse claims – one step in what is likely to result in a partisan impasse between the House and state Senate.
With coming report on abuse and a settlement with Baltimore archdiocese, victim sees long-delayed accounting
The Baltimore Sun| MARCH 29, 2023
Some 20 years ago, Ross Wiest’s job took him a couple of times to Stella Maris in Timonium, where he noticed a man who lived there looking at him and smiling.
For Years She Said a Coach Abused Her. Now She Has Named a Legend.
Juliet Macur|MARCH 20, 2023
In 2018, Jennifer Fox made an Emmy-nominated film called “The Tale” about her pieced-together memories of what she now describes as childhood sexual abuse.
Senate passes bill opening ‘lookback window’ for childhood abuse lawsuits
Madeline O’Neill| MARCH 16, 2023
Maryland’s Senate passed a bill Thursday that will open a retroactive “lookback window” allowing childhood sexual abuse survivors to bring lawsuits even if their claims already expired under a previous statute of limitations.
Maryland Senate passes bill enhancing protections for child sexual abuse victims
Marijke Freidman| MARCH 16, 2023
The Maryland General Assembly is getting closer to passing a bill that would remove the expiration date for survivors to file civil suits for child sexual abuse.
America’s child marriage SHAME: girls in their mid-teens are still wedding older adult men
MARCH 12, 2023
The era of 11-year-old girls marrying much older men is in America’s rearview mirror, but exclusive new data show that a worrying number of youths in their mid-teens are still getting hitched to adults.
West Virginia Senate passes bill to outlaw marriages for those under 16 years old
John Raby| MARCH 11, 2023
A child marriage bill was passed by the West Virginia Senate on Friday night after it was changed to prohibit anyone younger than 16 from getting married and to ban age gaps of more than four years for 16- and 17-year-olds.
Pa House Passes Two-Year Window for Childhood Sex Abuse Victims, Looks to Senate
Brendan Scanland| FEBRUARY 24, 2023
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WENY) – Today, the Pennsylvania House concluded its special session after passing a dual path for victims of childhood sexual assault. Both bills passed would open a two-year civil window for victims to sue abusers and institutions that covered the abuse.
Erie News Now 5pm
WICU| FEBRUARY 24, 2023
The Pennsylvania House wrapped up its special session after passing a dual-path for victims of childhood sexual assault.
Pa. House advances bills — for the 4th time — to allow child sex abuse survivors to file civil suits
Gillian McGoldrick| FEBRUARY 24, 2023
For the fourth time in six years, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed two measures that would allow adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits against their perpetrators or the institutions that protected them.
Two New Texas Bills Could Help Victims Of Sexual Abuse By Extending Statute Of Limitations
Dave Manning| FEBRUARY 13, 2023
The San Antonio chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), will gather Wednesday on the south steps of the Capitol in Austin to support two bills that would lift statutes of limitations, aiding victims of childhood sexual abuse to pursue civil litigation against their abusers.
NewsNation 07:30 PM
NEWSNATION| February 04, 2023
CHILD USA is cited as the SOL experts and our data is shared on this Cincinnati, OH morning radio talk show in a discussion about child sex abuse crimes and the impact in communities.
The cascade of recent lawsuits alleging sexual abuse of children throughout California has been sobering.
It also offers untold thousands of victims an opportunity for some healing, including many telling their heartbreaking stories for the first time — decades after they happened.
Decades-old California sex abuse lawsuits give survivors a chance at healing | Opinion
THE MODESTO BEE EDITORIAL BOARD | January 31, 2023
The cascade of recent lawsuits alleging sexual abuse of children throughout California has been sobering.
It also offers untold thousands of victims an opportunity for some healing, including many telling their heartbreaking stories for the first time — decades after they happened.
Pa. House stalemate stops constitutional amendments from appearing on May ballot
Marley Parish | January 27, 2023
Inside the hallways of Pennsylvania’s Capitol Building on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Photo by Amanda Berg for the Capital-Star)
When Pennsylvania House Speaker Mark Rozzi gaveled out the lower chamber this week, he also stopped a series of proposed constitutional amendments from appearing on this spring’s primary election ballot, including long-awaited relief for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Ballot deadline for proposed constitutional amendments about to expire
Eric Scicchitano | January 25, 2023
HARRISBURG — Lawmakers warned of a tight turnaround ahead of the upcoming spring primary election to adopt proposed ballot questions to amend Pennsylvania’s constitution.
That deadline is about to be blown.
The Pennsylvania Department of State says the state House would have to adopt proposals no later than Friday in order to meet constitutionally required legal advertisements ahead of the May 16 election.
‘Empowered’: Abuse victim’s book aids healing
Mary Schenkel| January 19, 2023
HB 206 would eliminate the statute of limitations for sexual abuse survivors to file a…
Jeffrey Pickering, president/CEO of the Indian River Community Foundation, can vividly recall the panic attack he experienced on Oct. 16, 2017. It unleashed a flood of disturbing images from a quarter of a century earlier; of being sexually abused as a teenager by his Orlando-based pediatric orthopedist.
Report raises alarm about potential costs of sex abuse lawsuits
HARRISBURG | January 17, 2023
A report released by a conservative think tank estimated that public schools could be on the hook for billions of dollars to settle lawsuits filed by survivors of sex abuse.
A lobbyist for a group that has been advocating for opening windows for justice for survivors of abuse in Pennsylvania and other states dismissed last week’s report as “the sky-is-falling fear-mongering.”
Republican lawmakers are jeopardizing justice for victims of child sexual abuse | Opinion
Mark S. Singel | January 14, 2023
The Pennsylvania Senate has voted to approve a constitutional amendment to open a two-year window for victims of child sexual abuse to file lawsuits that have been derailed by the state’s current statute of limitations laws.
After a shot of normal, it’s back to chaos as usual in the Pa. House | Friday Morning Coffee
John L. Micek | January 13, 2023
Just 10 days ago, it looked like Pennsylvania’s normally fractious House of Representatives had suddenly discovered sanity, with lawmakers coming together to elect Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, a compromise candidate for speaker who promised to work as an independent and put the people first.
For a minute there “the birthplace of American democracy actually lived up to its promise,” I rather optimistically wrote.
Commentary: House Bill 206 could help sex abuse survivors
Headtopics| January 12, 2023
HB 206 would eliminate the statute of limitations for sexual abuse survivors to file a…
Mike Spiller, who was arrested in November as part of an investigation that he sexually abused multiple children, some more than 20 years ago, illustrates the challenges abuse survivors in Texas can face in seeking justice..Follow Us..
After KBI report on clergy abuse, will Kansas allow survivors to sue the Catholic Church?
Jonathan Shorman| January 12, 2023
More than 50 years ago, Susan Leighnor says she was raped in the 4th grade by priests at Holy Cross Catholic School in Hutchinson, Kansas.
All told, Leighnor says four priests in her childhood either sexually abused her or helped facilitate abuse against her, including the late William Wheeler, who appears on the Wichita diocese’s list of clergy with substantiated sexual abuse allegations against them. One of them told her she would go to hell if she spoke out, she said.
WKRC-AM / 11 Jan 2023 / 07:00 AM / Brian Thomas 7AM
WKRC-AM| January 11, 2023
CHILD USA is cited as the SOL experts and our data is shared on this Cincinnati, OH morning radio talk show in a discussion about child sex abuse crimes and the impact in communities.
Catholic Diocese Challenges Maine Law Allowing Older Sex Abuse Claims
David Sharp | January 10, 2023
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is challenging a Maine law that eliminated the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, allowing a wave of new lawsuits.
A motion in the first of the new civil lawsuits suggests the 2021 law is unconstitutional through retroactive changes that violate due process and vested rights.
Pa. House has a speaker in child sex victim advocate Mark Rozzi but a majority that is still undecided
HARRISBURG | January 9, 2023
Mark Rozzi says it’s too early for him to announce any grand pronouncements about his plans as the new speaker of Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives.
Diocese challenges Maine law allowing older sex abuse claims
David Sharp | January 5, 2023
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is challenging a Maine law that eliminated the statue of limitations for child sexual abuse, allowing a wave of new lawsuits.
A motion in the first of the new civil lawsuits suggests the 2021 law is unconstitutional through retroactive changes that violate due process and vested rights.
Child sexual abuse survivors see reason for optimism with new Pa. House speaker
Jan Murphy | January 4, 2023
It has been nearly seven years since Rep. Mark Rozzi stood up on the floor of the state House of Representatives and spilled his heart-wrenching account of being raped by his priest at 13.