Mattiello Says He Will Address Statute of Limitations on Church Sex Offenders in 2019
Wednesday, January 02, 2019
Rhode Island Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello pledged to “re-address” legislation regarding the statute of limitation on prosecuting crimes against sex offenders, which could have ramifications for the Catholic Diocese of Providence -- and more.
Mattiello’s comments came on Tuesday, after winning re-election to the body’s top post on the first day the 2019 General Assembly session — and just weeks after the Lt. Governor of Tennessee backed efforts to remove completely the statute of limitations for child sex abuse there, and less than three months after the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation into the alleged sexual abuse by clergy in Pennsylvania’s Roman Catholic Church.
“Some issues we began working on last year will get a fresh look in the new session. We will work with Rep. Carol McEntee to re-address the statute of limitations on sex offenders,” said Mattiello in his speech on Tuesday. “I applaud Rep. McEntee for her hard work and dedication on this issue. I recently learned that it took Massachusetts almost ten years to enact legislation on this topic. Although we could not reach a final conclusion in four months last year, we will continue our analysis and fact-finding this year to hopefully achieve a successful outcome.”
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In August, legislators and survivors of sexual abuse took to the Rhode Island State House to urge Mattiello and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio to publicly support legislation to extend the civil statute of limitations for sex abuse crimes against minors to 35 years in Rhode Island -- from the current seven years on the books.
That rally came on the heels of the revelations from Pennsylvania in a grand jury report that made public the abuse of over 1,000 children by more than 300 Catholic priests -- and after legislation stalled at the Rhode Island General Assembly last session to extend Rhode Island's statute of limitations to well beyond the existing seven years.
"In light of the horrific events in Pennsylvania that the grand jury report that came out -- the scathing report of sexual abuse in the Catholic church of children -- we're here to respond to that report [and] all those horrific events," said Representative McEntee. who along with Senator Donna Nesselbush sponsored the legislation last session.
"This past legislative session, myself and [Senator] Donna Nesselbush sponsored legislation that would eliminate the statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse cases," said McEntee. "That bill was promised to me by Speaker Mattiello after heartbreaking testimony from my sister -- Dr. Ann Hagan Webb, Jim Scanlon, and several others."
Mattiello on Tuesday addressed his commitment to action in the upcoming session.
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“Speaker Mattiello’s comments pleasantly surprised me tonight. The time has come to pass legislation that protects children from pedophiles and the institutions that protect them. We as a governing body have a duty to protect our children,” said McEntee. “I appreciate Speaker Mattiello’s comments and I look forward to working with him and the other members of the house to bring about positive change for the people of Rhode Island.”
Related Slideshow: PHOTOS: General Assembly Opening Session - January 1, 2019
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