Colorado, Ohio bishops' fight on child sex abuse measures successful

Published: 2006-04-17

DENVER (CNS) -- The Catholic bishops of Colorado and Ohio have successfully fought bills that would have relaxed the statute of limitations on civil suits filed in child sex abuse cases. However, still pending in the Colorado Legislature are other measures that would make it easier to file civil suits against Catholic institutions in child sex abuse cases. After the Colorado Legislature removed provisions which would have extended the statute of limitations in civil suits, the state's bishops supported a bill that drops the criminal statute of limitations in child sex abuse cases occurring after July 1, 2006. The bill was signed into law April 12 by Gov. Bill Owens. "We are always grateful to see good legislation signed into law," said Timothy Dore, executive director of the Colorado Catholic Conference. In Ohio, the bishops supported a bill passed by the House and Senate March 29 after the legislation dropped a provision that would have provided a one-year grace period for filing civil suits covered by the statute of limitations. No date had been set as of April 17 for the governor to sign the bill into law.

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