‘Reparation’ Mass: Catholic Bishops, Reeling From Sex Abuse Crisis, Beg for Forgiveness

It is a recognition of how the scandal engulfing the church has evolved and spread. “It’s not a clergy abuse scandal anymore,” said David Gibson, the director for the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University. “It’s a bishop accountability scandal now.” read more »

California lawmakers facing sexual misconduct claims cost state $1.8m in 13 months

Behavior ranged from using vulgar language and giving uncomfortable hugs to forcibly kissing a staff member

The California legislature racked up more than $1.8m in legal costs from sexual harassment investigations during 2018 and the first month of this year when at least nine current or former lawmakers faced allegations of misconduct, according to records obtained by the Associated Press. read more »

‘Abuse is abuse:’ N.J. lawmakers advance bill expanding sex abuse statute of limitations

New Jersey’s Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill Thursday evening that would dramatically expand the state’s statute of limitations for sexual assault, allowing survivors to file civil lawsuits against their abusers for conduct that took place years or even decades earlier.

The upvote on a bill that had stalled in the Legislature in previous years came after hours of raw testimony from survivors about the abuse they had endured and the struggles of seeking justice with the state’s two-year limit.

This bill is focused on the statute of limitations on civil suits. In New Jersey, there is no criminal statute of limitations on sexual assault. read more »