WOODLAND PARK (NJ)
North Jersey Record
February 15, 2019
By Philip DeVencentis and Deena Yellin
After nearly 20 years of failed efforts, proposed legislation that would ease the civil statute of limitations for sex abuse survivors is showing signs of progress in New Jersey.
State Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, sponsor of S-477, said Thursday that the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on the measure March 7 and that he was “extraordinarily hopeful” about its prospects. Also on Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced his support.
The bill would allow child victims of sexual abuse to sue until age 55, or from seven years of their realization that the abuse occurred. It would give adult victims seven years to bring a civil case, or seven years from the time they discover their abuse, whichever is later.
The bill would also give a two-year window to those victims who were previously time-barred so that they have the opportunity to pursue their cases. It would allow victims to hold both the individual and any liable institution accountable.
Current laws demand that civil action be filed within two years after a victim turns 18.
Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, the prime sponsor of the bill in the Assembly, said, “If we put short, arbitrary legal limits on their time to process, we limit their ability to pursue justice and we, ourselves, become perpetrators in their injustice.”
“The language in the current bill has the approval of all the survivor groups, and that has helped to bring along some of my colleagues,” Vitale said. “Now we’re at a point that it seems as though the vast majority of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle support the bill. I’m extraordinarily hopeful.”
The measure has also gained the backing of the New Jersey Catholic Conference. On Thursday, Executive Director Patrick Branigan said: “We fully support the elimination of the statute of limitations prospectively for both perpetrators and institutions. We support the elimination of the statute of limitations retroactively for perpetrators, which would address Sen. Joseph Vitale’s frequent comment about the need to hold accountable the 95% of perpetrators who are not clergy.”
Vitale’s announcement comes on the heels of five dioceses in New Jersey releasing lists of priests credibly accused of sexually abusing children.
Murphy said, “Victims of sexual abuse, especially those victimized in childhood, deserve to find doors held open for them as they seek justice against their abusers. I commend Senator Vitale and Assemblywoman Quijano for their pursuit of legislation to extend the statute of limitations.”
Similar measures have been passed in New York and other states.
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