PITTSBURGH — Advocacy groups and victims of child sex abuse plan to rally on the steps of the City-County building in Pittsburgh to focus on strengthening mandatory reporting laws for child sex abuse.
The groups also want to revive an expired civil statue that helps victims.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Tuesday new legislation will be introduced in Harrisburg next week that will strengthen and clarify the mandatory reporting law for child sex abuse.
TRENDING NOW:
- Armed man shot by police after allegedly pointing gun at trooper
- Tomlin: Brown absent from Monday practice, won't discuss tweet publicly
- 6 people shot with paintballs during Tuesday morning spree in Pittsburgh
- VIDEO: Man shot while sleeping in car
- DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
"Our laws do not go far enough here in PA to protect victims of child sexual abuse and hold those accountable to cover it up," he said.
Right now, the law is vague and there is a two-year window during which a mandatory reporter, like the Catholic church, would have to report abuse.
"We are the fortunate ones who get to stand here today and tell our stories for those people that are watching at home that are struggling to brush their teeth that are struggling to put pants on to go to work in the morning that are struggling to provide for their families," sex abuse survivor Shaun Doughtery said.
Shapiro called out the current Pennsylvania bishops and said none of them are strongly supporting this legislation or the other recommendations made by the grand jury.
"The fact that they could oversee an institution that allowed for this abuse and supported the coverup including some bishops who occupy positions of authority today and not be for these recommendations is absolutely unconscionable," Shapiro said.
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
