Baseball Writer Bill Conlin Accused of Sexual Abuse

Four persons have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse against Baseball Hall Of Fame writer Bill Conlin. However, their legal options against Conlin, who was a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, are limited because the statute of limitations has already run out.

The 4 persons include 3 women and a man who say that they were sexually abused by Conlin when they were children. The abuse occurred back in the 70s, when these persons were between 7 and 12. One of the accusers is Conlin’s niece, who says that he molested her when she was a child. Last week, Conlin retired from the Daily News after working there for decades. He has not commented on these allegations.

The accusers say that they're only now speaking up about the abuse because of all the attention that has been focused on the Pennsylvania State sexual abuse scandal involving assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. The amount of media attention that has been devoted to that case has reminded them of their own struggles since the abuse, and has inspired them to speak up.

Unfortunately, for the 4 persons, options for legal action are very limited, because the abuse occurred outside the statute of limitations. Their parents did not inform police when they became aware of the abuse all those years ago, and now the time to file a lawsuit against Conlin has run out. Prosecutors say that they are helpless because any cases that occurred before 1996 are beyond the statute of limitations.

The victims allege that they informed their parents about the abuse when it did occur. However, nobody contacted law enforcement. Instead, Conlin was given a warning to stay away from the children, and a decision was made to protect children from direct contact with him. Fortunately, Los Angeles sexual abuse lawyers now see more people willing to come forward to report sexual abuse. Early reporting of abuses is essential for legal action be taken against a perpetrator.