For years victims of sexual abuse have been silences, whether out of shame and fear or due to the statute of limitations. All of these factors and more have created a system that traditionally chose to ignore allegations of child sex abuse. At Soloff & Zervanos, P.C., our sexual abuse lawyers in New York City are ready to help you. Today, we want to talk about how New York’s new law has given victims their voice and what this could mean moving forward.
New York took a major step towards helping victims of child sex abuse this year when it expanded the ways that survivors can use the legal system to get justice. The New York Child Victims Act that was signed into law on February 14, 2019, created a one-year period “when any adult survivors of child sexual abuse can sue an abuser or a negligent institution, no matter how long ago the abuse took place.”
As soon as this one-year window opened up, hundreds of lawsuits were filed. In New York City, 169 cases were filed. Outside of the city, another 258 cases were filed. Overall, 427 cases were filed, and many more are expected.
The state court system was expecting this, and they set aside 45 judges to deal just with these cases. Twelve of those judges are in New York City. Officials say they expect more lawsuits to be filed in the city against:
We can no longer sit back and pretend there is nothing we can do. This new law allows for those who have been silenced to have a voice. We know that statistics show that:
If you or a loved one have been the victim of sexual abuse, please seek legal assistance as soon as possible. At Soloff & Zervanos, P.C., we understand that this is not easy for you. Sexual abuse is traumatic, and you may not want to talk about it. Our compassionate team will sit with you and listen patiently. Our goal is to secure compensation for what has happened to you. This could include:
When you need a child sex abuse attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling us at 866-597-8572.