Hawaii Catholic Herald
While diocesan vicar general Msgr. Gary Secor expressed “concern” over a new law which, for a third time, lifted Hawaii’s statute of limitations for reporting sexual abuse of minors, he said it “does not diminish” the church’s commitment “to taking responsibility and providing justice and support for those who were abused.”
In a July 10 statement, Msgr. Secor said that he and Bishop Larry Silva “have met one-on-one with a number of victims to offer our sincerest apologies.”
He added that the diocese has “settled close to 100 claims through compassionate mediation, paying millions of dollars in damages.”
Most of these claims emerged after the Hawaii state legislature passed bills in 2012 and 2014, each giving victims of child sexual abuse a two-year window in which to file civil lawsuits in cases where the statute of limitations had run out.
Gov. David Ige last month signed a third bill into law, Act 098 (18), that extends the statute for two additional years, until April 24, 2020.
While the statute of limitation law does not target the Catholic Church specifically, all three extensions of the statute have prompted lawyers specializing in church sex abuse lawsuits to advertise widely their services.
Hawaii attorney Mark Gallagher, who has represented many of Hawaii’s clergy sex-abuse victims, said in a July 11 news conference that the law provides the church the opportunity to make the necessary changes to address the issue.
“I hope and believe that the church in Hawaii is trying to make changes,” he said. “And I hope it will continue to be constructive in making changes that are necessary.”
For more than 20 years, the Diocese of Honolulu has had procedures in place to prevent abuse and to respond promptly to allegations.
Background screenings and safe environment training are required for church employees, volunteers, clergy and religious. More than 14,000 children attending Catholic schools and religious education programs from preschool through grade 12 receive age-appropriate training on the subject each year.
The diocese also has a full-time safe environment director.
Before these laws suspending the statute of limitations, the time limit for filing a lawsuit had been set for two years after the plaintiff turned 18.
A statute of limitations exists because the passage of time makes it more difficult for alleged abusers and institutions to defend themselves against claims when witnesses die, memories fade and documentation is lost.
“Many of these incidents date back 50-plus years, making it extremely difficult, as most accused abusers and potential witnesses are deceased, recollections are cloudy, evidence is lost or destroyed, and testimony is limited to the accuser,” Msgr. Secor said.
The argument in favor of the bill states that severe, lasting and hidden psychological injuries from childhood sexual abuse could remain unacknowledged for years beyond the statute of limitations.
“While we do not diminish in any way the damage that sexual abuse has caused in the lives of the victims, for every victim there are thousands of youth who have been educated and nurtured by the Catholic Church,” the monsignor said. “We sincerely hope that our true mission, supported by our generous parishioners, will not be any further affected because of new lawsuits.”
