This is a huge step forward and will help to protect countless thousands of kids into the future.
"Kids are safest when predators are jailed. But that can't always happen. So the next best option is to expose predators," said SNAP in its public statement. Civil lawsuits are a powerful tool toward that end.
Civil lawsuits are also a tool that can often bring to light the extensive cover-ups that we see so frequently in religious institutions.
When allegations are made as part of a civil lawsuit filed at a public courthouse, the media can readily report on them. When the media reports on them, people learn about them. When people learn about them, other victims often come forward, other people may be prompted to tell what they know, and others who colluded in concealing the crimes can be exposed. Most importantly, with the exposure that civil lawsuits bring, people can at least have the opportunity to be warned about credibly-accused predators, and parents can then make their own decisions about who they're willing to trust their kids with.
A huge thank-you to the many individuals in the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, whose work helped to make this progress possible!
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