Victim’s Family: End Statute of Limitations

August 24, 2010
Douglas LeBlanc

Two statements from opponents of Bishop Charles E. Bennison, Jr., have called for abolishing any statute of limitations for any allegations related to sexual abuse.

“An Open Letter from the Bennison Trial Witnesses” represents Martha Alexis — who was abused by Bishop Bennison’s brother, John, when she was a teenager — plus her immediate family and other supporters.

The other statement is by the Rev. Ann Nadine Grady, interim priest at Christ Church, Montpelier, Vt., where John Bennison’s ex-wife, Maggie Thompson, is a lay leader. Thompson, who was also a prosecution witness at Bishop Bennison’s trial, joined in signing the open letter.

The Episcopal Church’s Review Court for the Trial of a Bishop dismissed charges against the bishop in a ruling dated July 28. The court cited the statute of limitations regarding charges related to sexual abuse. While agreeing with the trial court that Bishop Bennison should have done more to stop his brother’s sexual abuse in the mid-1970s, the review court added that the bishop was never accused of committing sexual abuse himself. the rest