Proposals at the Wisconsin Capital to Help Victims of Child Sexual Assault and Abuse
Thursday, August 8th, 2019 -- 10:21 AM
(WRN) -At the Capitol, proposals to help victims of child sexual assault and abuse.State Senator Lena Taylor says the Child Victims Act removes one of the biggest obstacles to victims, the existing statute of limitations.
"Statutes of limitations. On raping children."
In Wisconsin, a person who who has experienced sexual assault by an adult, has until age 35 to bring a civil case. Survivor Debbie McNulty of Madison says it can take decades.
"I'm in my forties, and it's taken me this long to fully understand what has happened to me, and the role that the church played."
Children who've been sexually abused by members of their faith community are easily manipulated to keep quiet. Rebecca Martin Byrd of Madison says she was abused as a child by a member of her church (Calvary Baptist).
"When I first told my pastor, he told me that if I told my story it would ruin my perpetrator's life. That it would make the church look bad, and if the church looked bad then people wouldn't come to church, and if people don't come to church then they don't get saved. And if they don't get saved then they burn in hell. And that would be my fault."
Martin Byrd was one one of several people who spoke at a Capitol press conference on Wednesday where Democratic lawmakers proposed two bills. One would remove the statute of limitations for victims who wish to pursue civil caes. The other would remove an exemption on private conversations with clergy, including Catholic confession, from the state's "mandatory reporters." law.
State Representative Chris Taylor says clergy ARE currently designated.
"But, and this is a big but, unless they received the information about the abuse confidentially, or privately. And unfortunately, that's how the information is received most of the time. And so it basically nullifies the ability to report. Our bill gets rid of that exception."
It's the fourth time since 2002 that this has been proposed.
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