Los Angeles, Calif., Oct 15, 2013 / 03:56 am
California Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed a controversial bill that would have allowed more decades-old sexual abuse charges against Catholic schools and other non-profit institutions, while exempting public schools where abuse took place.
Auxiliary Bishop Gerald Wilkerson of Los Angeles, the president of the California Catholic Conference, said the bishops of the state are "grateful" that the bill was vetoed.
"It was unfair to the vast majority of victims and unfair to all private and non-profit organizations," he said, adding that the bill "discriminated and treated victims unequally" in a way that was "impossible to morally or legally justify."
The bill would have lifted the statute of limitations on child sex abuse lawsuits against private schools and private employers who failed to take action against sexual abuse by employees or volunteers. It would allow alleged victims younger than 31 to sue employers of abusers, extending present age limit for alleged victims from 26 years old.