Until now, New York State’s sexual abuse laws were among the most restrictive laws in the nation. This changed on January 28th, 2019, when the Senate and Assembly approved the Child Victims Act, which extended the statute of limitations for child sex abuse.
Sexual abuse can often lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety. Victims of childhood sexual abuse most of the time might not have adequate communication skills to report the event or provide details. Moreover, they may not even know at that time that the action or event constitutes sexual abuse. For many reasons, years and decades can pass until a victim decides to disclose what happened and take further steps to seek justice. Statistics of Child USA show that the average age of victims to disclose the event or events is 52.
Before the Child Victims Act, criminal or civil charges were required to be brought before the victim reached 23 years of age. Under the new bill, victims can bring civil cases until age 55 and prosecutors can bring criminal charges until the victim turns 28.
The new bill also includes a one year period after the law comes to effect, during which victims of any age will be able to sue the abuser no matter how long ago the event occurred. This period is included in the bill so that victims above the age of 55 can pursue legal action against their victimizers.
Furthermore, under the Child Victims Act, claims can be brought against individuals and both private and public institutions, such as schools, churches and organizations.
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