July 8, 2005

Statement by Barbara Blaine of Chicago
SNAP president and founder
312 399 4747

"We're thrilled New York's highest court has taken this step, although at the same time, we're always saddened when church officials try to evade responsibility by using legal technicallities like the statute of limitations to protect sexual predators.

We are hopeful because all across the country, judges and juries and lawmakers are making it less difficult, not more difficult, for victims of sexual violence to seek justice and expose the truth through the time-tested American judicial system.

Most abuse victims don't come forward sooner because they can't. It usually takes years, if not decades, before victims realize they've been hurt, the harm is severe, the effects are on-going, and that they have legal options. It usually takes years and years of failed drug rehab or sabotaged relationships or DUI convictions or debilitating mental illness before victims of traumatic childhood sex crimes can understand that they've been and remain deeply wounded. Thankfully, gradually, courts across America are realizing this tragic reality and giving victims the chance to expose dangerous predators in open, impartial proceedings.

This decision is one more small step forward in a couragous and painstaking march toward justice for victims and protection for children."

For more information:
David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP National Director (314) 566-9790 cell
Barbara Blaine of Chicago, SNAP Founder and President (312) 399 4747 cell