Question: Given the desultory response by those who allegedly witnessed or were told that Sandusky was molesting children, the state legislature is considering expanding requirements for reporting sexual abuse. Aren't the laws already clear that if you see or hear about such crimes, you are obligated to let authorities know?
Abraham: We have to enlarge the group of people who are mandated reporters, but ... care needs to be exercised. It would be an inappropriate result if we were to arrest someone like a janitor who didn't report because he was afraid of losing his job. Legislative hearings should be held to allow people to express their views on where to draw the line.
Q: Where would you draw it?
Abraham: I can't say. That's for victims' advocates and the legislature to decide.
Q: What's your first step representing the Second Mile?
Abraham: We are trying to ascertain what policies and procedures were in place and to what extent they failed. Our job is to see: can this organization have its integrity restored?
Q: How do you balance the good that a group like this has done with the harm it apparently brought to some of the children?
Abraham: It's not my job to balance it. The good the organization has done has to speak for itself. Many, many people have been helped by Second Mile. There are lots of kids across the commonwealth needing a guiding hand, buddies, mentors, people to help set them on the right path. If this organization can no longer serve these children, the gap will have to be filled.
My guess is, what's going to come out of this is that most of the people, if not all the people, on the board never knew anything about the abuse.
