Victims who have survived child sexual abuse many times are traumatized for years after the incident, and sometimes don’t report the person or persons who abused them at all.
The abused individual will go through many emotions after such a horrible incident such as shame, guilt, and embarrassment. This is why these crimes so many times go under-reported, or not reported until years into their adulthood.
The problem with that is the fact that there is a statute of limitations on when a victim can report that they were sexually abused as a minor. But, the good news is that the Child Victims Act actually extends that length of time, and it gives victims a chance to make a better decision about who they want as their Child Victims Act Attorney.
Details About the Child Victims Act
According to the Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, the Child Victims Act Bill took thirteen years to reach the floor of the Senate. But, On Valentine’s Day of 2019, he proudly announced that it had finally been passed.
This act was so important because it did three things in particular:
- A victim of child sexual abuse now would have more time to precisely choose a Child Victims Act Attorney. This is because the bill added five more years to the statute of limitations after their 18th birthday, so they now had until they were 28-years-old to report an incident instead of 23.
- Victims now had until they were 55 years old to file civil suits against not only their abusers but the institutions that ignored or tried to protect the aggressors.
- The Act allowed a 12-month look-back period, meaning that it didn’t matter how long ago the incident happened, a victim could still file a civil suit against their abuser.
When the Coronavirus hit the United States, even fewer victims were going out to search for a reputable Child Victims Act Attorney, and they continued to suffer in silence. Governor Cuomo recognized that issues such as the closing of the courts because of the pandemic contributed to this, so he took action.
When COVID-19 was at one of its deadliest points, he decided to sign legislation that would give those victims even more time to attain a Child Victims Act Attorney. In early May of 2020, Governor Cuomo extended the window to report these crimes until January 14th, 2021. He later extended it again until August 14th, 2021.
Choosing the Best Child Victims Act Attorney
The best way to choose the right lawyer for your child sexual abuse civil suit is to firstly take a look at their track record. See if they have experience in representing clients that have had similar situations to yours, and take your time in comparing different attorneys.
Not only should they be reputable, but having a sense of passion for your type of case is always a plus. They should have the type of legal action plan that includes not only tough courtroom skills but also the intention of providing emotional support.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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