NEW YORK
Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state has one of the worst laws in the nation when it comes to allowing child molestation victims to sue their abusers, according to a new report issued Thursday that comes amid continuing legislative debate over relaxing the rules.
Most states have taken some action to change their criminal or civil statutes of limitations for molestation since the clergy sex abuse scandal erupted in 2002 following an investigation by The Boston Globe, the report found.
New York, however, continues to have one of the shortest statutes of limitations for civil molestation suits in the country even though it has eliminated the criminal statute of limitations for some felony molestation crimes, said University of Pennsylvania professor Marci Hamilton, who conducted the analysis.
While 39 states and the District of Columbia have changed their rules, those like New York have more work to do, said Hamilton, who also is the CEO of CHILD USA, a group that researches child abuse and neglect policy.
“It is one of the worst states for access to justice for child sex abuse victims in the country,” according to the report.
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