Statement from Senator Hoylman Regarding Papal Acknowledgement of the Pain, Suffering Revealed by PA Grand Jury Report

NEW YORK- Senator Brad Hoylman (D/WF-Manhattan), sponsor of the Child Victims Act (S.6575/ A.5885-A),  released the following statement in response to the Pope’s unprecedented letter to 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide saying that the church has not dealt properly with “crimes” against children and must prevent sexual abuse form being “covered up and perpetuated.”

State Senator Brad Hoylman said: “There can be no question about it. Pope Francis unequivocally stated today that ‘no effort must be spared’ to prevent child sexual abuse from ‘being covered up and perpetuated. These comments and the Pennsylvania grand jury report are proof of concept for the need of the Child Victims Act in New York. The grand jury identified sexual abuse involving more than 300 priests and at least one thousand child victims. But because of a systematic cover-up over the course of 70 years, almost every instance of abuse they found was too old to be prosecuted.  I hope the Senate Republicans take the Pope’s words to heart and join Senate Democrats in supporting the Child Victims Act, the legislation that will finally help uncover the extent of child sexual abuse in New York and give survivors their day in court.”