A Grand Jury Investigation into Sex Abuse by New York Clergy Could Fall Short

State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal is skeptical that a grand jury investigation into child sex abuse in New York's Catholic churches would bring justice for victims.

New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood said last week that her office is exploring the possibility of partnering with local district attorneys on a grand jury investigation similar to the one in Pennsylvania that revealed widespread child abuse across six Catholic diocese. That report, though, may not result in charges against predator priests because Pennsylvania law only allows victims to bring civil lawsuits until the age of 30. Criminal prosecutions for child sex abuse victims is allowed until the victim is 50 years old.

Rosenthal, long an advocate for child sex abuse victims, says the situation would be the same in New York, where the statute of limitations for victims runs out at the age of 23 for both civil and criminal cases.

"The fact that the AG wants to collaborate with local DAs is fine. It would be a long investigation," Rosenthal told WNYC. "But it still would not put behind bars or call to account in a court of law those who committed the childhood sexual abuse."

The Pennsylvania grand jury report recommended reforming the state's statute of limitations, which Rosenthal says is what is also needed in New York. Rosenthal has sponsored a bill in the Assembly to extend New York's statute of limitations; while it has passed the Democratic-controlled Assembly, it has failed twice in the Republican-dominated State Senate.

The state attorney general's office would not say which, if any, district attorneys have come forward to the state about convening a grand jury into sex abuse in the Church. A spokeswoman for the state AG's office told WNYC it's working both with individual district attorney offices and the District Attorneys Association of New York.