The California Child Victims Act—SB 131—has made it through Appropriations and is scheduled for a vote on the Senate Floor TOMORROW. The bill dramatically extends the civil statute of limitations for children who are sexually abused and gives older victims a one-year window to come forward, expose their abuser and seek accountability.
In short, if signed into law, SB 131 will allow hundreds of child sex abuse victims to get justice. SB 131 will also help keep kids safe RIGHT NOW by exposing abusers who have escaped criminal prosecution.
Remember – we would know NOTHING about the crimes committed in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and other dioceses across the state were it not for brave victims using the civil justice system.
No bishop has ever voluntarily made public a secret sex abuse file. The Boy Scouts’ files would still be hidden were it not for victims demanding justice.
Give other victims the same chance.
Contact your CA State Senator now. Need to find out who your rep is? Click here. Tell them that you support SB 131, exposing crimes, and helping child sex abuse victims get justice.
How do you feel about the exclusion of public schools and municipal governments from this legislation? Is that fair to children who were abused decades ago in school or at a government-sponsored summer camp? You don’t mention the public schools’ exclusion; in fact, no one really does. The fact is, this bill would have no shot of being passed if it really covered all children. Every mayor, city council and board of education in California would be screaming about this if they were on the hook as well.
Why are the public schools excluded?
You are right. There is no way the legislature would pass a bill including public schools. I have written about it in the past. And it disgusts me.
SB 131 is a stepping stone – because of the 2003 civil window, victims exposed more than 250 predators statewide. Some of them were working in public schools. The more we can expose abuse and the more we can get the public outraged about what is going on in ALL of our schools, the better chance we have at taking the unions on.
But we have to start somewhere, right? You can’t climb Everest in a day. But if we can expose as many predators as we can, we will make our state safer for our children.
I received three emails from the LA Archdiocese today about AB 131. Through parish bulletins and emails the California Catholic Bishops are telling Catholics to urge their state senators to vote NO on this this bill. It’s important that supporters of AB 131 make their voices heard. Contact your representatives now!