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Group calls for strengthening of laws for child sex abuse victims

PITTSBURGH — A rally on the steps of the city county building focused on two issues: strengthening mandatory reporting laws for child sex abuse and reviving an expired civil statute that helps victims.

Rep. Mark Rozzi is a survivor of sexual abuse by a priest. He organized the rally to strengthen laws for abuse victims.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro also announced new legislation will be introduced in Harrisburg next week that will strengthen and clarify the mandatory reporting law for child sex abuse.

Right now, the law is vague and there is only a two-year window where a mandatory reporter, like the Catholic church, would have to report abuse.

Shapiro called out the current PA bishops and said none of them are strongly supporting this legislation or the other recommendations made by the grand jury.

At a the rally, Rozzi discussed why the previous attempt failed.

"The Catholic conference hired 39 lobbyist to work 50 senators and spent millions of dollars to defeat us in the Senate," he said.

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