Grosso Calls on Pope Francis and the Catholic Church to Protect Victims of Sexual Abuse

For Immediate Release

September 24, 2015

Contact: Darby Hickey

(202) 724-8105

Grosso Calls on Pope Francis and the Catholic Church to Protect Victims of Sexual Abuse

Washington, D.C. – Today, at 2:30pm, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) will join victims of sexual abuse at the hands of priests at a rally in front of the Wilson Building.  In advance of the rally, Grosso released the following statement:

 “In his prayer meeting with U.S. bishops yesterday, Pope Francis spoke of a ‘generous commitment to bring healing’— this stance must extend to those who have suffered sexual abuse.  I am calling on the Pope to hold the bishops of the Catholic Church accountable for abuse committed on their watch. It is past time for the Church to support better laws that protect children, expose predators, and punish enablers.

Earlier this year I introduced the ‘Childhood Protection Against Sexual Abuse Amendment Act’ to give child victims of sexual abuse more time to file a civil lawsuit against perpetrators. Our current laws unjustly protect predators, and too often the Church has opposed legal reform. If the Catholic Church is truly committed to healing and forgiveness, then it will support this legislation and efforts to protect children from harm.”

Today, at 2:30pm, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) will rally in support of Grosso’s legislation on the steps of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. The Childhood Protection Against Sexual Abuse Amendment Act, introduced by Grosso in March 2015, would eliminate the civil statute of limitations for recovery of damages arising out of child sexual abuse claims.  Additionally, the bill creates a two-year window for individuals whose claims of child sexual abuse were previously time-barred, enabling victims to begin the long road to recovery. The legislation is currently awaiting a hearing in the D.C. Council’s Committee on the Judiciary.

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Could DC’s ‘Nay’ on Pepco-Exelon Merger Kill It’s Future in Mid-Atlantic?

By Nicole Raz, WMAL, August 28, 2015

WASHINGTON — The Pepco-Exelon merger holds a murky future in the Mid-Atlantic after a DC regulator denied the power companies’ application Tuesday.

State regulators in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Virginia had already approved the $6.8 billion merger; now that the DC Public Service Commission unanimously denied it “the whole deal goes down,” says Montgomery County Councilman Roger Berliner.

Pepco and Exelon have 30 days to file an appeal. “We will review our options with respect to this decision and respond once that process is complete.,” they said in a statement.

DC Councilmember David Grosso said an appeal would mean lots of activity around the Wilson Building.

“There will be a bunch of lobbyists from Pepco and Exelon coming in trying to get us to support changing the decision,” Grosso said.

If the power companies don’t file an appeal, or if an appeal doesn’t work out, then DC pulled the plug on what would have been the Mid-Atlantic’s largest electric and gas utility.

“If they try to put a new deal on the table for everybody to look at, if they want to continue to pursue this option then that’s certainly an option–but [then] they play the tape all over again,” Berliner told WMAL.

If Pepco is still interested in finding a partner for a merger, then Grosso suggests finding a company that is committed to renewable energy.

“The only way I would support any kind of merger like this is if the merger clearly supports and demonstrates that they’re doing what’s in the best interest of the public. In this case Exelon didn’t come close to meeting their burden,” Grosso said.

The Pepco-Exelon merger had been in the works since April 2014.

Safe Routes to Schools

In light of the recent rise in crime throughout the District, Councilmember David Grosso sent the following letter to Police Chief, Cathy Lanier, regarding MPD deployment as students return to school on Monday, August 24, 2015.

Safe Routes to Schools Letter

Grosso Applauds Amnesty International's Stance on Sex Workers' Human Rights

For Immediate Release: 
August 11, 2015
Contact: Darby Hickey
(202) 724-8105

 Grosso Applauds Amnesty International's Stance on Sex Workers' Human Rights

Washington, D.C.--Today, Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) issued the following statement on the decision by human rights organization Amnesty International to support the decriminalization of sex work: 

"I applaud Amnesty International for taking a position in support of decriminalization of sex work as a means to prevent human rights violations against sex workers. Amnesty International joins the ranks of those calling for decriminalization of sex work which includes the World Health Organization, UNAIDS, Human Rights Watch and the medical journal The Lancet.
 
It is my hope that by having a well-respected human rights organization like Amnesty International support decriminalization, we can begin the conversation about reforming similar D.C. laws and policies.  For decades we have repeated the same practice over and over, trying to arrest our way to an end of sex work, but it has never worked. Instead criminalization has caused severe harm to communities.
 
My commitment to human rights predates my time in office and a human rights framework is interwoven into all of the work I do here on the D.C. Council. That commitment includes speaking out for the human rights of the most marginalized communities, including sex workers. I believe that we as a society are coming to realize that excessive criminalization is causing more harm than good, from school discipline to drug laws to homelessness. It is time for D.C. to reconsider the framework in which we handle commercial sex.
 
As Amnesty International suggests, we should look at changing from the framework of criminalization to a framework that emphasizes the health and human rights of everyone involved. This has been my stance for some time and it is why I pushed to repeal the "prostitution free zones"  law last year, sought to stop the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) from arresting young people accused of offering sex in exchange for money or a place to stay, and have encouraged MPD to consider new approaches in how it handles prostitution.
 
This a complex issue and there are real problems that we must address, from the trivial, like used condoms on the sidewalk, to the serious, like violence that sex workers face. A criminalization framework has not helped, but a human rights approach can. First, D.C. must fight stigma and discrimination, which are entwined with over-criminalization. Then, it is critical that we put the resources in place to allow people who trade sex for money to be as safe and healthy as possible, with their human rights respected--as well as to help anyone who does not want to engage in commercial sex to avoid or leave such a situation. Finally, we need to realize that only through a new approach to regulating commercial sex will we begin to see quality of life concerns abated. The bottom line is that D.C. is a human rights city and it is time for a change."

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