News

Bishop: Pass sexual abuse bills

MADISON -- Bp. Robert Morlino of Madison, vice president of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC), last week testified in favor of two bills that would add clergy to the list of mandatory reporters for child abuse.

Senate Bill 207 and Assembly Bill 428 would protect the sacrament of Penance, extend the statute of limitations from age 31 to 45 to allow victims more time to press criminal charges and from age 20 to 35 to allow victims more time to file civil lawsuits. The bills also clarify that victims may sue religious organizations if superiors knew of a danger and did not try to prevent it.

Also testifying Sept. 18 at the Capitol before the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections, and Privacy and the Assembly Committee on Judiciary were legislators, legal experts, victims, and other religious leaders.

In his testimony, Bp. Morlino said "society is calling on us to face our own shortcomings and challenging us in conscience better to serve Wisconsin's people. I want you to know that we have heard that call. Our support for these bills is part of our response."

Wisconsin's bishops support the bills because they provide more protection for children and victims, help restore trust, and respect religious pluralism, he said.

"Adding clergy to the list of mandatory reporters provides an opportunity to restore trust and live up to the vision in our Charter on the Protection of Children and Young People. For Wisconsin's citizens, it provides an opportunity to strengthen our state's commitment to help vulnerable children. Such an opportunity should not be missed," Bp. Morlino said.

"Some may fear that asking clergy to report child abuse and neglect will threaten the free exercise of religion guaranteed by our Constitution. While we should always take such concerns seriously, asking clergy to be mandatory reporters does the exercise of religion no harm.

"In fact, diocesan policies in Wisconsin already require priests and other church employees to report abuse and neglect, even if not legally required to do so," he said.

"The sexual abuse of minors by priests or bishops or anyone is a most grave sin, as indicated by church law, reveals a psychological disorder and is rightfully a most serious crime in the civil order," Bp. Morlino said. "In the past, a number of bishops and priests have failed to respond to this threefold complexity. Very many victims have been irreparably harmed by this failure within our church. We are doing everything possible so that this failure will not occur again."

In noting that the legislation does not apply to information learned in confession or similar confidential communications in other faith traditions, Bp. Morlino said "bishops do not hear confessions from priests in their diocese. Thus anything a bishop hears about a priest-abuser will come to him outside the sacramental seal and we will report it."

Bp. Morlino called support for the bills "a vital component of our effort to heal those wounded by clergy misconduct, but is not the only component. Backing this bill is but one part of our larger effort to restore your trust in our will and our capacity to face up to the problems of clergy and others who abuse children and youth."

Victims of clergy sexual abuse from throughout the state shared their personal stories. They also supported addition of a one-year retroactive window for victims to file lawsuits no matter how long ago the abuse took place.

The authors of the bills, Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) and Rep. Peggy Krusick (D-Milwaukee), stressed that such a measure would make the legislation unconstitutional.

John Huebscher, WCC executive director, said such an amendment would be difficult to support, although he did not want to negotiate on the content of an amendment he had not seen.

"While we support an expanded statute of limitations, we also support a clear statutory boundary," said Lucille Rupe, executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Winnebago, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), representing the Wisconsin Council of Churches.

"Without such a boundary, cases can be brought where the alleged perpetrators and corroborating witnesses may be deceased, or are brought so long after the fact that finding the truth is hopelessly difficult," Rupe said. "We know this is a delicate balance. This legislation, in our view, strikes a reasonable middle ground."

Krusick noted that the proposed legislation "is not just aimed at the Catholic Church. It will hold all churches accountable."

Barbara Blaine, president and founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by a Priest (SNAP), called the statute of limitations an evil that "protects child molesters." She said she would support the legislation with a one-year retroactive window.

One victim from Milwaukee called it "a good bill as far as protecting kids in the future but it does not protect these children from priests and religious predators in the community. This isn't about money, but about saving children."

It's hard for those who haven't been through abuse to understand, said the sister of an alleged victim in the Madison Diocese.

The committee did not indicate when it may vote on the bill.