Bill to help sex abuse victims heads to Committee Tuesday

A big change could be coming to Rhode Island as a new bill would open up the door for past victims of sex abuse to put their rapist behind bars.

The House Judiciary Committee will vote on Tuesday to increase the statute of limitations to 35 years after the abuse.

Current law is set at seven years for abusers and three years for an institution that represents the perpetrator.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee, whose sister, Ann Hagan Webb, is an assault survivor.

“I was abused by a priest when I was between the ages of 5 and 12,” Webb said.

Webb said that in the late 1950s and early 1960s she was repeatedly targeted by Monsignor Anthony DeAngelis at her church in West Warwick.

She said that it took more than 30 years for her to remember the abuse and finally speak up about it. The problem was that DeAngelis died in 1990 and Webb could not take any action against the church, although the Diocese paid for therapy while Webb recovered.

“There was no chance I was psychologically healthy enough at the time to tolerate being on the stand, being cross-examined and all of that,” Webb said. “What happened to me happened a very long time ago. I’ve has years and years of therapy. I don’t consider myself to be a victim at all.”

A similar bill was introduced last session that would eliminate a statute of limitations on abuse, but it did not make it out of committee.

Rep. McEntee said that with the support of 58 fellow representatives, she is confident the bill will become law.

The goal is to help those victims heal.

“That’s a problem and most people aren’t meeting the statute of limitations and that’s why you’re not seeing a lot of it,” McEntee said. “They’re getting their day in court. Now they have a heavy burden.”

If the bill becomes law, those who have passed the 35-year statute of limitations will have a three-year window to come forward against their abuser or any public or private institution.