BUFFALO (NY)
Buffalo News
November 8, 2018
By Jay Tokasz
A new Democratic majority in the state Senate means childhood victims of sex abuse might soon be able to sue the Catholic Church in clergy molestation cases that date back decades.
Senate Democrats said Wednesday that passing the Child Victims Act will be a top priority when they assume control in 2019. Democrats on Tuesday won at least 37 seats in the Senate, winning control of the 63-seat chamber for the first time in a decade.
“We’re looking forward to finally getting it passed with this new Democratic majority,” said Sen. Timothy M. Kennedy, D-Buffalo. “We have been calling for passage of the Child Victims Act for years. It has languished under the Republican majority. It is one of several initiatives we’re looking to fast-track.”
New York is among the most restrictive states in the nation when it comes to allowing victims of sexual abuse from years ago to file lawsuits against their alleged perpetrators.
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