Clergy Abuse Victims Call for Changes in Law

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KCBS) – Victims of clergy sexual abuse are calling for changes in laws that they claim prevent the prosecution of priests accused of misconduct.

They want statutes of limitation in such cases extended.

Members of the Survivor’s Network of Those Abused by Priests or SNAP say time limits are unfair.

If you are victimized in California, you have to take action by age 26, or within three years of realizing that you were abused.

“Then you will have more people who may not have come forward as a child but when they realize as an adult how severely this has affected their life, then they may be willing to come forward,” argued Melanie Sakoda in favor of extending or dropping statutes altogether.

She contends laws are better at protecting abusers than victims.

California’s law is stronger than those in other states, but she’d like legislation here in line with Alaska’s, which has no statute of limitations for felony sexual abuse of a minor.