Andrew Cuomo Pushing to End Statute of Limitations for Child Sex Abuse Suits

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Image by Getty Images

By Josh Nathan-Kazis January 12, 2017

New York State governor Andrew Cuomo has a new proposal that would lift the statute of limitations that has prevented victims of sex abuse from seeking justice for crimes committed against them as children.

According to a report in the New York Daily News, Cuomo’s proposed bill would end all time limits on criminal prosecutions of sexual abusers of children, and would allow victims to bring civil suits for up to 50 years after they were attacked.

In addition, the law would create a one-year period in which otherwise ineligible survivors would be entitled to bring lawsuits against their abusers.

Cuomo has been promising action on the issue for years, but has faced stiff opposition from Republicans in the New York State Senate, among others. The Orthodox umbrella group Agudath Israel of America has lobbied against an extension of the statute, as have other religious groups.

It’s unclear if things will be different this time. “These survivors deserve justice, plain and simple,” Cuomo told the Daily News. “Giving victims the opportunity to advance their claims in court is the right thing to do and I urge the Legislature to join me and pass this measure once and for all.”

Contact Josh Nathan-Kazis at [email protected]

Josh Nathan-Kazis is a staff writer for the Forward. He covers charities and politics, and writes investigations and longform.

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