History of child sex abuse statutes of limitation reform in the United States 2002-2021
Abstract
CHILD USA’s Annual Reports on the history of SOL reform in the United States start with the
year 2002 because this movement was spurred by the Boston Globe’s January 2002 Pulitzer Prizewinning Spotlight series on the cover-up of clergy CSA committed by Cardinal Bernard Law of
the Boston Archdiocese.
3
This publication was a turning point in the history of child protection as
the public was introduced to the outlines of a paradigm of sex abuse in trusted institutions. The
Spotlight series brought to the fore the broad themes of institution-based CSA: powerful men
motivated by image and self-preservation; calculated ignorance of the clear risks to children; and
protection of abusers within an institution, rather than the children. While those in power ignored
the horror in plain sight, perpetrators were permitted latitude to abuse countless children. The
story was picked up around the world, and clergy sex abuse became standard content in headlines
everywhere.
Description
item.page.type
Article
item.page.format
Keywords
statute of limitations, prosecution, child sexual abuse, youth-serving organizations
Citation
Hamilton, M. A. et al. (2022). History of child sex abuse statutes of limitation reform in the United States 2002-2021. Philadelphia, PA: ChildUSA.