NEW YORK
Legislative Gazette
By Michael Pugliese, Gazette staff writer on May 3, 2016
Assemblywoman Margaret Markey and Senator Brad Hoylman are sponsors of a bill that would eliminate the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse crimes. The legislation also includes a one-year window during which the statute of limitations is suspended so older victims can seek justice.
Markey will screen the Academy Award winning film “Spotlight,” in the Empire State Plaza this week during a two-day event organized to raise support for the Child Victims Act, The film depicts the true story of how The Boston Globe uncovered a scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese.
The Child Victims Act (A.2872/S.0063A) would eliminate the current statute of limitations, which requires a child abuse victim to file criminal or civil charges by the time they turn 23 years of age. The bill would also create a one-year window during which older victims of previous crimes could come forward to seek justice for the crimes committed against them. The sponsors say the problem with the current system is that there are many child abuse victims who take years, and sometimes decades, to speak about or even tell anybody what happened.
The bill has been adopted in the Democratic-controlled Assembly four times since 2006, but has never made it to the Republican-controlled Senate floor for a vote. Last year, despite having a record number of sponsors, including many Republicans, the bill did not make it through once again.
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