Since the investigative grand jury report was issued in August 2018, Pennsylvania Dioceses have launched compensation funds and have been reporting the number and amount of settlements. Reports made it known that hundreds of Roman Catholic priests had sexually abused Pennsylvanian children over seven decades and that church officials helped covered it up.
Catholic Church Spent $300 Million Last Year on Sexual Abuse Crisis
According to a report by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Catholic Church in the United States spent a staggering more than $300 million on costs related to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The report, which surveyed costs between June 2017 and June 2018, including nearly $200 million in legal settlements.
PA House Approves New Child Sexual Abuse Reporting Rules
PA Legislature May Pass Child Sexual Abuse Reform Bills
Two related bills are up for consideration in Harrisburg, both of which may pass in the House in upcoming days. This week, the House Judiciary Committee voted overwhelmingly for a bill that would remove the statue of limitations for child sexual abuse crimes and for a constitutional amendment that would permit child sexual-abuse lawsuits that would otherwise be outdated during a two-year period.
Did a Powerful Lobby Kill the PA Child Sex Abuse Bill?
Pennsylvania Legislators Tangle Over Sex Abuse Law Reform
The bill that would open the window for claims passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives last month and now awaits Senate review. There are only a few days left in this term for voting on the bill in Harrisburg, so Representative Rozzi of Berks County, who was raped by a priest, and his supporters have ramped up the pressure in Bucks County.