ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
August 27, 2019
We are here today because Texans need to know that the doors to justice just opened a little wider for survivors of child sexual abuse in our state.
House Bill # 3809, passed by the Texas Senate on May 2019, was the result of the emotional testimony of Becky Leach, State Rep. Jeff Leach’s wife, regarding her own abuse as a child. Even though this new law is limited in terms of applying to older cases of childhood sexual abuse, it is still a step in the right direction.
The new law, which becomes effective on September 1, 2019, gives more time for child sex abuse survivors to bring a civil lawsuit against their abuser and/or the institution that harbored him or her. It replaces the older law that only gave survivors 15 years past their 18th birthday to file a complaint. Going forward, victims now have 30 years.
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