MINNESOTA
The Legal Examiner
Posted by Mike Bryant
May 17, 2014
Before 2013 there was a statute of limitations in Minnesota for survivors of child sexual abuse. For many years, the offenders and the church were able to hide behind this protection. They could fight using the statute of limitations and knew that unless fraud was proven, they probably could get cases dismissed. It was a time period when they didn’t have to worry about being supervised, when they didn’t have to worry about liability, and when they were able to bury old secrets. They must be penalized for this time period where they were allowed to be free of responsibility.
The Child Victims Act has changed things. By extending the statute of limitations on the civil side, we are fixing problems that cannot be fixed criminally. Everybody has to agree that these individuals belong in prison, however timelines do not allow for them to now face those charges. So the civil system must be used to get the community the most protection. The files must be turned over and all abuser names need to be disclosed.
Consequently, the civil lawsuit is the only remedy the client and society has to make sure that they are held responsible for the abhorrent things they did and continue to do.
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