It matters because time does not heal all wounds. There isnt a statute of limitations on murder–on taking someone elses life. Even if it happened 40 or 50 years ago, the fact that it happened so long ago doesnt minimize the heinous nature of that act. To destroy someones life or forever alter how they look at themselves or other people, that matters too.
We know that the impact of sex abuse is long lasting, and that the survivor will have to face the ramifications of that abuse for the rest of their life. The person who did it needs to be held accountable. The institutions that turned a blind eye to the things that happened, that dismissed it because nobody could do that, thats too horrible, that denial perpetrated the abuse. They [the institutions] created the environment that allowed it to happen. Institutions need to be held accountable. I was raised Catholic, and I was taught if I was sorry for my sins, Id be forgiven. They [the institutions] didnt mean for this to happen, but it was too convenient for them to protect an institution and not worry about kids. A kid who was molested may look fine on the outside, but there are scars on the inside.
