PA Gov. Josh Shapiro urges statute of limitations reform for child sexual abuse survivors

Photo: Josh Shapiro, courtesy Maryland GovPics; via Wikipedia.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro renewed his call for statute of limitations reform for child sexual abuse survivors, urging lawmakers to act during his budget address to the General Assembly in Harrisburg. Shapiro framed the issue as a matter of accountability and access to justice, arguing that survivors should not be barred from court because of the passage of time.

“I held abusers accountable as Pennsylvania’s Attorney General, uncovering thousands of cases of abuse by hundreds of predator priests and a cover-up that extended all the way to the Vatican,” Shapiro said during his address.

As attorney general, Josh Shapiro oversaw the release of a sweeping 2019 grand jury report that documented widespread childhood sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania. Despite the report’s findings, repeated efforts to change the state’s statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims have failed to advance into law.

Shapiro placed responsibility for the stalemate squarely on the state Senate, noting that the Pennsylvania House has passed what he described as a “clean bill” on statute of limitations reform six times over the past three years.

“Stop cowering to the special interests, like insurance companies and lobbyists for the Catholic Church,” Shapiro said. “Stop tying justice for abused kids to your pet political projects.”

The governor also pointed to national trends, noting that nearly 30 states have enacted reforms allowing survivors of child sexual abuse to pursue civil claims after similar investigations exposed institutional abuse. He argued that Pennsylvania’s failure to follow suit leaves survivors without meaningful legal recourse.

According to Shapiro, passing statute of limitations reform would give survivors of child sexual abuse the opportunity to confront their abusers in court and seek accountability that has long been out of reach.