Eliminating the Statute of Limitations on Child Sex Abuse
Posted By Administrator on March 1, 2010
Under current law, a victim of childhood sexual abuse has until age 48 to file a civil lawsuit against the offender. Given the nature of the crimes and the emotional difficulties so many victims face in trying to come to terms with what happened to them, any statute of limitations on such crimes seems criminal in itself. 
Thankfully, Rep. Beth Bye feels the statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse crimes should be eliminated.
According to an article posted on WFSB’s website, Rep. Bye believes that all victims of childhood sexual abuse should be allowed to file a civil lawsuit no matter how old they are. There will be public hearings on the issue in the near future as the issue is slated to go before the Judiciary Committee.
“In child sexual abuse, because children repress memories, that’s exactly why we need to open up the statute of limitations because we don’t know when there might be a triggering event,” Bye said. “We’re trying to protect people who were abused as children.”
I agree wholeheartedly and applaud the efforts of Rep. Beth Bye.
Read: Some Look To Eliminate Child Sex Abuse Law
Comments
2 Responses to “Eliminating the Statute of Limitations on Child Sex Abuse”
Leave a Reply
Please note: Comment moderation is currently enabled so there will be a delay between when you post your comment and when it shows up. Patience is a virtue; there is no need to re-submit your comment.
After reading this today, you certainly come over as the usual and customary hypocrite regarding retaining the statute of limitations for chiild abuse for one segment of people but not the other. The segment you seek to protect, the public schools, for the time periods is doing nothing but enabling these rats just as the teacher’s union in New York City actually rewards the abusers with guaranteed wages and retirement benefits even when found guilty by the courts by not allowing them contact.. Are you becoming a Barbara Blaine of SNAP or the scumbag lawyer, Jeff Anderson in zeroing in on private and or/religious organizations while leaving the bulk of the abusers who are in daily contact with children.untouched??? As someone like you should know, millions of dollars are going into the pockets of the above 2 attornies thru law suits.
CONNECTICUT BILL GIVES TEACHERS A PASS
Catholic League president Bill Donohue points out why HB 5473, a bill in Connecticut that eliminates the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims, is inherently discriminatory:
Just as we saw with anti-Catholics in Colorado and New York, the “let’s-get-the-Church” gang is in full gear in Connecticut. None of those supporting this legislation is interested in combating child sexual abuse: if they were, they would not give public institutions a pass. As it stands, this bill will do absolutely nothing to bring relief to those who have been previously abused by a public school employee.
As is the case in other states, public employees enjoy sovereign immunity from such claims and cannot be sued for damages unless a bill specifically authorizes it. Accordingly, the Catholic League calls the bill’s sponsors’ bluff: make it inclusive of all institutions, public as well as private, or pull it.
It is hardly surprising that we have heard nothing from the teachers’ unions and all the other lobbyists for the public schools. They know that if the statute of limitations is eliminated in cases of childhood sexual abuse that took place in the schools, many former administrators and teachers—to say nothing of current school districts—would be forced to face the fire. Justice demands, however, that they suffer the same fate of those in private institutions. Either that, or stop with the grandstanding and withdraw this discriminatory bill altogether.
Charles,
Thank you for your comments. I’m sorry you feel that I “come over as the usual and customary hypocrite” with regard to the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse crimes. For the record, I’m not a scumbag lawyer and I don’t intend to become one. You should also know that because I don’t practice criminal law, the millions of dollars in lawsuits you refer to won’t be going into my pocket.
That said: More than one therapist has spoken to me about clients who come to them with repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse. Some event triggers their memory and suddenly they are forced to relive the pain and shame they felt all those years ago. Unfortunately, the triggering of those memories doesn’t always fall within the statutory limits. As the therapists have told me, people remember when they remember, whether it’s convenient or not.
Anyone who perpetrates such a crime should be punished by the criminal justice system. I don’t believe in exempting anyone from being open to prosecution for the sexual abuse of a child. On that point, we agree. It will be interesting to see how this Bill changes before it is finally voted on.