LITTLE ROCK (AR)
KARK.com [Little Rock, AR]
February 5, 2025
By Alex Kienlen
A ruling by the Arkansas Court of Appeals overturned a 2021 law on Wednesday intended to aid child sexual abuse victims.
The court’s majority opinion stated the Justice for Vulnerable Victims of Sexual Abuse Act was not legal due to a long-standing legal precedent that prohibited extending the statute of limitations. The act intended to allow child sexual abuse victims under 55 years old to sue their abuser.
Previously, the law only allowed victims to sue for three years after the victim turned 18 as a statute of limitations. A revision to the act in 2023 removed the 55-year-old requirement and allowed all victims, regardless of age, to file for two years after the revision became law.
The case came before the appeals court after four people sued a man they allege abused them between 1995 and 2007 when they were from 10 to 18 years old. The opinion added the four became adults between 2003 and 2012.
Bill in Arkansas gives child sexual abuse victims more time to file civil lawsuits
The court found that despite the abuse, which the opinion called “abhorrent,” it was forced only to consider the legal implications of extending the statute of limitations. The decision stated the court was “powerless” to overrule existing legal precedent, striking down the vulnerable victims act.