Law Profs Say Markey's Bill Can Protect Children

By Alli Sofer
Legislative Gazette
May 25, 2012

http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2012-05-25-81752.113122-Law-profs-say-Markeys-bill-can-protect-children.html

Spotlighting childhood sexual abuse, Assemblywoman Margaret Markey hosted a roundtable discussion on the importance of the Child Victims' Act of New York, a bill that would extend the statute of limitations in cases of childhood sexual assault.

Roundtable speakers included Markey, D-Maspeth; moderator Melissa Breger, professor at Albany Law School; Marci Hamilton, professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; Shannon Sarfoh, assistant district attorney and bureau chief of the special victims unit; and Carmen Durso, a member of the Massachusetts bar.

Markey has been pushing legislation (A.5488) to create a one-year window in which any victim of sexual abuse, regardless of when the abuse occurred, can file a civil suit against their abuser. Markey's bill also extends the criminal and civil statute of limitations by five years. The current statute is five years after the attack or five years after the victim turns age 18, giving them until age 23 to file a claim. Markey's legislation would begin the statute at age 23 and end at age 28.