The Child Victims Act is Now Helping New York Sexual Abuse Survivors
The Child Victims Act (CVA), a recently passed New York state law, officially went into effect in mid-August 2019. Under the new ct, New York’s statutes of limitations have been permanently extended for adults who were sexually abused while they were under the age of 18. Previous state laws kept childhood sexual abuse survivors from taking legal action after they turned 23. Now these victims have until they turn 55 to file suit.
Additionally, the CVA also opens a one-year window—running from August 14, 2019 to August 13, 2020—for any New York sexual abuse survivor to pursue a lawsuit. This one-year window is open to all survivors, of all ages, no matter how long ago the abuse took place.
Those who were previously barred from taking their abusers to court, including those who had their cases thrown out due to statutes of limitations, now have a second chance to file a civil claim.
With powerful lobbying efforts backed by a large bankroll, the Catholic Church worked for over a decade to stop the CVA from being signed into law. Now that the law is in effect, it will go a long way toward restoring justice in a state that was devastated by decades’ worth of clergy sex abuse.