Sex Offenders Find an Unlikely Ally in the Catholic Church

There is no statute of limitation (i.e., a time frame set by government in which a crime may be prosecuted) in the U.S. for murder. So why are there state-by-state time limits for sexual assault, and why is the Catholic Church actively attempting to protect sex offenders from prosecution?

The New York Times reported this week that the Catholic Church has been lobbying politicians regarding time limits on sexual assault. And, rather than make it easier for victims to face their perpetrators, the Church may be hoping to do just the opposite. It seems the Church doesn't want children who were sexually abused to have the opportunity to prosecute the priests who they claim have harmed them. What about the risks posed by fuzzy memories or evidence contamination, after all? According to the Church, these are two of the many reasons that boys and girls molested by priests shouldn't get their days in court.

But alas, this Catholic fears the Catholic Church's reasoning is simply (and pathetically) nothing more than a flimsy, convenient façade. Catholic leaders want the horrific crimes perpetrated by priests on little boys and girls to go away because it hurts the Church, not because evidence gets old or memories fade. Catholic leadership doesn't want to admit to the abuse, or risk exposing how many in its ranks looked the other way or actively hide the abuses they witnessed. The Church doesn't want to deal with the emotional backlash of these God-less crimes against children, or pay these once trusting victims for their pain and suffering. With over $2 billion spent by the church in legal fees, victim payouts and the like, it's safe to assume the Church wants to limit the damage to the coffers as well.

Rather than do what is Christ-like -- what is right and what is good -- the Catholic Church hired outside consultants to make it even harder for victims to face their alleged perpetrators in criminal court. And, by protecting its own selfish interests, it inadvertently provides safe haven for rapists and pedophiles the nation over who benefit from time elapsing on their crimes.

Jerry Sandusky, the accused serial pedophile curr...


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