Mexico bishops: No statute of limitations for sex abuse

By Sierra Juarez

QUERETARO, Mexico (AA) - The Catholic Church is urging Mexico to get rid of or extend its statutes of limitations for sexual abuse of minors.

Survivors o have 10 years to report the crime before they can no longer pursue the incident in a court of law.

Bishops in Mexico announced in a conference Tuesday they believe the limitation is unjust.

They released their recommendation after releasing am internal investigation about sexual abuse in the church in Mexico.

In the last 10 years, 426 priests have been investigated for sexual abuse of children and teens. Of those, 173 are still in the investigation process and 217 have resigned due to the accusations.

Also at the conference, bishops discussed the “migratory emergency” that Mexico is experiencing and calling for the need to support “migrant brothers.”

They urged the government to fight poverty and violence in the region, noting that 2019 was one of the most violent in Mexico’s history.

“The Mexican Bishops glimpse with faith, yearning, and hope that this year 2020, be a year where peace, reconciliation, and dialogue reign,” the bishops wrote in a statement.