Recent ruling has taken rights of victims away

Before 2006, Ohio law recognized that some kids, to cope with the trauma of child rape, involuntarily repress their memories of the crimes. Now, because the legislature acted hastily, the rights of those victims have been taken away. Recently, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that Amy Pratte and every other child who repressed memories of their victimization can't take legal action against the predatory adults who violated them.

In light of what the Pope has said recently, promising to do more to help victims and expose predators, we are calling on Bishop Conlon to help us get these rights restored. Just recently, the Pope said that forgiveness doesn't mean justice can be ignored. And justice is thwarted when boys and girls who suffer devastating child sex crimes are denied a chance to expose their predators and protect others through the courts.

We urge Ohio lawmakers to remedy this injustice. We urge Ohio's Catholic bishops, starting with Bishop Conlon, to help prod legislators to act. And we urge anyone who saw, suspected and suffered child sex crimes, especially by clergy, to keep coming forward and speaking up and exposing predators and protecting kids and healing themselves, despite this setback.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the nation's oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. It has been around for 21 years and has more than 9,000 members across the country. Despite the word "priest" in the title, SNAP has members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers.)

Judy Jones

SNAP Midwest associate director

Marthasville, Mo.