Push on to let older sex abuse victims sue institutions

GEORGIA
Joplin Globe

By Jill Nolin | CNHI State Reporter Aug 4, 2017

ATLANTA – Victims of child sexual abuse will have more time to pursue legal action against their abuser and, in some cases, the institutions that failed to protect them as children, under a bill that awaits state lawmakers.

The proposal, sponsored by Rep. Jason Spencer, R-Woodbine, seeks to build on a 2015 measure that temporarily lifted the statute of limitations and allowed older victims to come forward and take their abuser to civil court.

State law gives victims until they 23 years old to file a civil lawsuit. That age cut-off was suspended for two years, during which time 13 cases were filed all across the state, Spencer said.

But Spencer said those cases have revealed a major flaw in the 2015 bill, known as the Hidden Predator Act: These older victims could not go after the institutions that may have covered up the abuse.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.