Resolution 120234

..Title Urging the Pennsylvania Legislature to take action on bills to protect victims of childhood sexual abuse. ..Body WHEREAS, The real prevalence of child sexual abuse is not fully known because many victims do not disclose or report their abuse. It can take years and even decades for victims of childhood sexual abuse to confront and process what happened to them as children; and WHEREAS, Even if the true prevalence of childhood sexual abuse is not fully known, adult retrospective studies show that 1 in 4 women and 1 and 6 men were sexually abused before their 18th birthday; and WHEREAS, There are approximately 42 million adult survivors of child abuse in the United States; and WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's current statute of limitations requires victims of sexual abuse to file civil action against their perpetrator by their 30th birthday; and WHEREAS, The consequences of childhood sexual abuse often follow victims into adulthood and most do not understand the effects of childhood sexual abuse are so pervasive in adult life; and WHEREAS, There have been several bills introduced in the Pennsylvania Legislature to protect children from sexual abuse and would open the door for adults to initiate legal action against persons they claim sexually abused them when they were minors; and WHEREAS, House Bill 832 introduced by Representative Louise Williams Bishop would repeal the statute of limitations in criminal and civil cases relating to child sexual abuse cases moving forward; and WHEREAS, House Bill 2050 introduced by Representatives Dennis O'Brien and Louise Williams Bishop provides a onetime two-year window in which victims can bring a civil action against an alleged abuser and the institution if the facility owed a duty of care to the victim and if the statue of limitations has expired; and WHEREAS, Representative Michael McGeehan introduced House Bill 853 which establishes a two-year window for the filing of civil lawsuits in which the previous statute of limitations expired; and WHEREAS, Representative Cherelle Parker introduced House Bill 1264 to allow the use of expert witnesses in sexual abuse cases; and WHEREAS, Representatives O'Brien and Bishop introduced House Bill 2046 which requires staff of a public or private institution, school, facility or agency, to report acts of child abuse to law enforcement if the abuse was witnessed firsthand or abuse is suspected; and WHEREAS, Representatives O'Brien and Bishop introduced House Bills 2047 and 2048 to increase the penalties for failure to report acts of child abuse and extends the statute of limitations for the criminal prosecution for failure to report abuse within three years of discovery; and WHEREAS, The passage of these bills are needed to help protect the rights of childhood sex abuse victims; and now, therefore RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Council calls on the Pennsylvania Legislature to pass all the bills presented by the Philadelphia Delegation related to the protection of childhood sexual abuse victims. ..End