Ohio House of Representatives Retains Some Limits on Clergy Sex-Abuse Lawsuits

From The Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Columbus - State lawmakers dropped a proposal Tuesday to create a one-year window for victims of sexual abuse by clergy to file lawsuits in cases up to 35 years old.

Victims' advocates lambasted House Speaker Jon Husted for striking what they see as the bill's most important provision, which would have allowed victims who missed the lawsuit deadline to sue for alleged abuse.

Husted, Republican of Kettering, said leaders were unable to reach a compromise that suits church officials and an outspoken victims' support network, whose members descended on the Statehouse the past two days.

The change was among bill revisions approved Tuesday by the House Judiciary Committee and headed for expected passage in the full House today. Senate President Bill Harris said the Senate likely would agree with the changes.

The revised bill also would shorten the period for future victims to sue over childhood sexual abuse from 20 to 12 years after turning 18, but it would give new authority to the state attorney general or county prosecutor in expired cases to file civil actions. Victims could use the suits to get an abuser classified for a registry listing and then collect attorneys' fees, but could not reap additional damages.

Penalties for failing to report abuse also would increase, and the bill would require known abusers to register their names, addresses and photos in a government-distributed database.

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The Catholic Conference of Ohio and bishops have actively opposed allowing lawsuits on old cases, saying that the idea will not promote healing for victims.

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Barbara Blaine, president of the Survivors' Network of those Abused by Priests, said the bill is weak.

"It's a sham," she said. "It's an illusion, to make the legislature look good today while they allow the kingpins who have enabled these abusers never to be held accountable."