ITHACA (NY)
Ithaca Times
July 1, 2019
By Edwin J. Viera
In January, New York State passed the Child Victims Act (CVA), which opened up New York’s previously strict criminal and civil statute of limitations on child sexual assault allegations. Instead of the criminal statute beginning when a person is 18 and ending when a person turns 23, the statute now begins when a person turns 23 and ends when they turn 28. For the civil statute of limitations, victims had to file before the age of 23. Now, the statute for any child sexual assault after February 14, 1996 can file a lawsuit before the age of 55. This is just one of many differences to come from the new legislation.
On June 25, at the BorgWarner Room of the Tompkins County Public Library, the Zero Abuse Project and NYS Assembly member Barbara Lifton sponsored an event to teach people about the law’s new parameters. Lifton was hopeful that local organizations who deal with sexual assault victims would be able to take this information and help their clients. The seminar did reveal that a window for most if not all child sexual assault cases to be opened will come up later this summer.
Starting on August 16 of this year and closing on August 13, 2020, for any victim of child sexual assault in New York State, regardless of age, will be able to file a civil lawsuit against either an abuser or an institution which covered for an abuser. This window of opportunity is allowing anyone to file a civil case against an abuser regardless of whether or not the statute of limitations has run out.
Jeff Dion, the CEO of the Zero Abuse Project, led a presentation detailing several facts about the new Child Victims Act. He spoke about how the culture of negligence within some institutions has to end and should be replaced by one of disclosure.
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