CNA Staff, Aug 3, 2020 / 14:30 pm
New York on Monday extended the window in the statute of limitations for people sexually abused as children to file lawsuits against the perpetrators.
On August 3, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed legislation extending the one-year window for Child Victims Act lawsuits until August 14, 2021. The window, which began in August of 2019, allowed for lawsuits to be filed over allegations of sex abuse long after the statute of limitations had expired.
Previously, survivors of sex abuse in the state had until the age of 23 to file criminal charges or a civil claim. Under the Child Victims Act, survivors can now file charges until age 28, or file a civil claim if they are younger than age 55.
The law also created a one-year "lookback" window for new lawsuits where the statute of limitations had already expired.