ATLANTIC CITY (NJ)
The Press of Atlantic City
March 27, 2019
Over the past decade, New Jersey legislators have considered easing the tight deadlines that victims of sexual abuse face in filing civil lawsuits for damages.
Twice the legislation got nowhere, but events of the past year or so have made an unstoppably strong case for the change.
After a Pennsylvania grand jury report identified 300 Catholic Church clergy members credibly accused of sexual assault, New Jersey in September launched its own investigation. In February, New Jersey’s Roman Catholic dioceses released a list of 188 priests and deacons credibly accused of sexually abusing children.
In 2017-18, USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to 140 to 300 years in prison on multiple guilty pleas after accusations he molested at least 250 girls and young women.
This year a special committee of the Legislature has been investigating the handling by the campaign and administration of Gov. Phil Murphy of a sexual assault allegation by one campaign staffer against another. Katie Brennan, who has filed a civil suit against the state and alleged attacker Al Alvarez, was among the first to testify at a state Senate hearing on the bill to make it easier to file such lawsuits.
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