For years, the effort to reform the Pennsylvania statute of limitations has been chiefly led by Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Berks County Democrat who at the age of 13 was brutally raped by his Diocese of Allentown priest.

Rozzi was raped in the shower more than 30 years ago by the late Father Edward Graff, among the 301 predator priests identified by the recently published grand jury on sexual abuse in Pennsylvania dioceses.

On Monday, Bill Wachob, a Democrat who between 1978 and 1984 served in the House, made public his own abuse.

Wachob, who now lives in La Jolla, Calif., calls himself "collateral damage" to the clergy sex abuse crisis. He said his abuser - an older and bigger neighbor - was himself being abused by a priest.

"Even though I was not directly abused by the priest, the actions of the priest had a ripple effect and I became collateral damage as a result of the priests' behavior. At such a young age, I was filled with fear knowing that the priest himself was ultimately responsible for the abuse I endured."

With two exceptions, none of the cases detailed in the grand jury report can be prosecuted as the statute of limitations have expired.

Wachob broke his silence before a Capitol Rotunda packed with lawmakers and victims ahead of Monday's House vote on reform amendments to a statute of limitations reform bill.

"It is widely known that many abusers were abused themselves," he said. "This was the case with the person who abused me. In fact, he would justify his abusive behavior toward me by continually assuring me that he wasn't doing anything wrong because the priest was doing the same thing to him."

Wachob said his abuse went on for years, and at times in the disguise of strip poker or some other ruse.

Wachob has kept his silence about his abuse up until now and has only recently realized the destructive and lasting effects that come with child sexual abuse.

Wachob, who now is in campaign advertising production, urged the Legislature to pass a retroactive window that would allow time-barred victims to file civil suits in court.

"I am convinced that if no action is taken now and we just move forward with business as usual, there will be more victims, more broken families and more deaths," he said.

On Monday afternoon [09/24], the House by an overwhelming vote passed several amendments to SB261, including Rozzi's retroactive measures.

Once the bill clears a final vote in the House, it will return to the Senate for concurrence.

Source.