POUGHKEEPSIE (NY)
Poughkeepsie Journal
January 16, 2018
By Kathryn Robb
When I first heard the claims of child sexual abuse against Alabama’s disgraced former Senate candidate Roy Moore, I was sick to my stomach. But as a long-time advocate and abuse survivor, I was not surprised that such a predator was able to remain hidden in plain sight for so long.
Despite the national conversation turning to rampant, and previously unreported, sexual abuse, New Yorkers still live in a state with laws that diminish victims and protect predators. In fact, New York is one of the worst states to be a victim of child sexual abuse, on par with Alabama.
New York has among the most restrictive statute of limitations for child sexual abuse crimes – barring most victims in Dutchess County and across the state from taking their abuser to court after they turn 23 years old. For most victims, it takes decades to report sexual abuse from their childhood, and the current statute of limitations means many who come forward are still denied their day in court.
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