MASSACHUSETTS
The Republic
By The Republican Editorials
on July 18, 2014
Victims of child sexual abuse now have until they reach the age of 53 to sue the perpetrators of this heinous and all too common crime.
The law, signed by Gov. Deval Patrick last week, extends the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits by three decades. Until last week the statute of limitations expired at the age of 21.
This change will mean that those who are traumatized will have additional time to decide whether to pursue civil litigation, which can be harrowing and difficult at best, traumatizing at worst.
The criminal statute of limitations was extended in 2006 from 15 years after a victim’s 16th birthday to 27 years.
Kathy Picard, of Ludlow, worked for a dozen years to get the law changed, and last week she stood with Gov. Deval Patrick as he signed the bill.
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