The wait for justice continues for the victims of decades-old childhood sexual abuse.
But it might finally be in sight - albeit in a roundabout way.
Not everyone is happy about it.
There is a new effort in Harrisburg to offer abuse victims - many of whom were molested by their trusted parish priests and pastors.
But the latest push is taking a new tack - one that will mean the agonizing wait for justice will take even longer.
The latest effort, which would eliminate the statute of limitations for criminal charges in such cases, expand the time a victim has to bring a civil suit from the current age 30 to age 55 in future cases, and open a two-year window for victims of decades-old cases to seek civil redress.
But instead of changing the criminal statute directly, which has caused the bill to stall in the Capitol, the latest push would address the changes by seeking a constitutional amendment. That is not an easy process. The measure needs to be passed by both the House and Senate in two consecutive sessions, and that only gets it on the ballot for a statewide referendum.
The measures passed the Senate Judiciary Committee and could be voted on by the full Senate as early as today.
Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, himself a victim of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of his parish priest, realizes the new tack means a longer process, but he came to the decision that changing the criminal statute simply was not going to happen in Harrisburg.
You can get all the details on where the proposal stands here.
And on today's editorial page, we again make the case for offering these victims of decades-old abuse cases their chance at justice.
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