Penn State Child Sex Abuse Scandal Prompts Deutch Request for Judiciary Hearings

Statement

In the wake of the Penn State University child sex abuse scandal that has captured the attention of Americans nationwide, today Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) sent a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith requesting a congressional hearing into the policy issues raised by this despicable tragedy. With the university's own internal report by Louis Freeh indicating a total failure of the systems supposedly in place to protect children from sexual predators like Mr. Sandusky, Congressman Deutch believes it is time to examine issues related to child abuse including mandatory reporting requirements, burdensome statute of limitations, and state and federal penalties for both the abusers and those that enable them.

"Like many parents across the country, I have been following this case with ever-increasing horror," writes Congressman Deutch. "One of the most repugnant revelations from the Freeh report is that so many children were repeatedly victimized by Mr. Sandusky while a number of individuals who could have done something chose not to act. Given that the issue of child sexual abuse is too often ignored, we must examine the shortcomings in our legal system that fail to adequately compel adults to take action. If there is any chance that something good can come out of this terrible tragedy, we must focus the national attention on this case to the issue of child sex abuse and closely examine why this abuse continued uninterrupted at Penn State."

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