PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island lawmakers are considering a bill to repeal the state’s seven-year statute of limitations for prosecuting sex crimes against minors.
Several victims of sexual abuse appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday to testify in support of the bill.
The Providence Journal reports Dr. Herbert “Hub” Brennan specifically criticized the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, saying it is “hiding the truth, obscuring the facts and protecting their assets” in their efforts to stop the bill from passing.
Diocese spokesman the Rev. Bernard Healey did not testify, but he tells WPRI-TV the bill “impedes the administration of justice and does little to protect victims.”
It is unclear if the removal of the statute of limitations would apply retroactively if the bill passes.
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