Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed an extension of the Child Victims Act allowing survivors more time to file claims against abusers
Victims of child sex abuse, regardless of age, will now have until next August to sue their alleged abusers under a bill signed into law Monday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo that extended the opportunity for another year.
The measure is an extension of the Child Victims Act, which was passed in 2019 to provide more opportunities for victims to bring civil claims against their alleged abusers.
The so-called look-back period, which allowed victims of any age to sue their alleged abusers, was set to expire in mid-August. But the state Legislature passed a bill to extend it until August 2021, given that many victims missed their day in court due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cuomo had already used his emergency powers to extend the look-back window through next January, but the legislation moved the deadline another eight months.
“As New York continues to reopen and recover from a public health crisis, extending the look back window is the right thing to do and will help ensure that abusers and those who enabled them are held accountable,” Cuomo said.
The bill was sponsored by Sen. Brad Hoylman and Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, both Democrats from Manhattan.
Hoylman, in a statement, noted that 3,000 people had already filed litigation against their alleged abusers, and also that COVID-19 “has upended our courts,” denying many others the chance to seek justice.
Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal said the intent of the legislation was to provide relief to victims of child sex abuse, who may not have had the chance to file claims against their abusers during the previous look-back window.
Aside from the look-back window, the CVA extends the statute of limitations for new victims to file civil claims against their abusers, or an institution, until they are 55.
Mental health professionals have argued that it can take survivors many years to come forward because of emotional and physical pain caused by abuse. With the extended look-back window, new victims will have a second chance to file claims in decades-old cases.
The CVA also allows victims to file claims against public and private institutions that may have been involved with individuals accused of committing abuse.