Rochester Homepage
March 13, 2009
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A bill in the New York legislature that would temporarily lift the statue of limitations for lawsuits in alleged cases of sexual abuse of children is stirring up controversy among religious groups and other organizations.
The New York Civil Liberties Union, the criminal defense bar and several Orthodox Jewish institutions have joined the Catholic Archdiocese of New York in lobbying against the so-called Child Victims Act.
The bill is strongly supported by the state Senate's new Democratic majority and Governor David Paterson. If passed, the measure would suspend the statute of limitations in child sex abuse cases for one year, meaning alleged victims would be able to sue an individual or organization regardless of how long ago the alleged abuse occurred. After that time, the statue of limitations for filing a claim would be extended from the current deadline of five years after the victim turns 18 to ten years.
The bill would not affect statues of limitations on criminal cases. It also wouldn't affect public institutions due to a state law that requires anyone who wants to sue a public employee or entity to do it within 90 days of the alleged injury. That means a victim of childhood sexual abuse would still have to file a claim within three months of turning 18.
The New York Senate Codes Committee is expected to take up the measure as early as next week.
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