You knew you could trust them. You never thought something like this would happen to you or a loved one. Sexual abuse is more common than most people realize and you need to know where to turn if it has happened to you or someone you love.
Soloff & Zervanos, P.C. will be by your side when you need a Manhattan sexual abuse attorney. We will stop at nothing to get to the truth of what happened so you can receive a piece of mind that justice is being served. You deserve to be compensated for what has happened to you, so let us help.
This Is Horrendous And Needs To Stop
Sexual abuse is different than sexual assault in that these cases generally revolve around people in positions of power or authority abusing victims who trusted them. Most commonly, this happens when an adult abuses a child, but it can also happen to adults.
Many cases revolve around people in the following positions abuse children: teachers, clergy members, scout leaders, coaches, and other mentors. We see these cases happen to adults in situations similar to the following: doctors abusing their unconscious patients, elderly adults being abuse by in-home aides, and nursing home residents being abused by staff.
Sexual abuse is real. In the US, around one in five girls and one in 20 boys will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime. That is an astounding number.
- Around 90% of children who have been sexually abused knew their abusers.
- Approximately 30% of children abused are abused by members of their own family.
Sexual abuse takes many forms and can include:
- Any sexual act between an adult and a minor or between two minors when one is older or exerts power over the other.
- Forcing a child or vulnerable adult to engage in any type of sexual activity.
- Non-physical acts (exposure to pornography, exposure, voyeurism, sexual contact by phone or Internet).
The Consequences
The effects of sexual abuse do not stop when the abuse stops. In nearly all cases, the victims suffer from long-lasting emotional and psychological damage and need counseling. This can affect their own relationships and sex lives as they grow up. The costs are both monetary (counseling) and non-monetary (constant pain and suffering).
Holding the perpetrators accountable will not erase the pain, but it can help bring some closure to the abuse.
FAQs for Manhattan Sexual Abuse Lawyer
Sexual abuse or assault is one of the most traumatizing events a person can endure. Most sexual abuse and assault survivors are left with emotional scars and life-long psychological and mental traumas.
Being sexually assaulted is something so heinous and monstrous that it cannot be easily forgotten, and can haunt the abused victim for the rest of his or her life.
In New York, a victim of sexual abuse can file both a civil and criminal lawsuit against the perpetrator. The New York Child Abuse Act has opened the door for many sexual assault survivors to come forward and bring the offender to justice even if the crime occurred decades ago.
A Manhattan sexual abuse lawyer at Soloff & Zervanos, P.C., is here to help you fight back and obtain the compensation and justice you deserve.
What Is New York’s Age of Consent Law?
In New York City, the age of consent, or the age at which a person is considered old enough to legally consent to a sexual relationship or sexual intercourse, is 17 years old. Engaging in sexual relations with a minor under the age of 17 is considered a criminal act even if the girl or boy consented to sexual relations.
However, there is also the close-in-age exception, which does not recognize sexual relations as statutory rape if the minor and the older person are close to the same age. In New York, the older person cannot be more than four years older than the minor for the close-in-age exception to apply.
However, the exception does not apply if the underage individual is under the age of 15.
Can You Keep Your Identity a Secret When Pursuing Compensation?
Many victims of sexual abuse and assault want to ensure their anonymity when pursuing a civil or criminal claim against the perpetrator.
In sex abuse cases, adult victims are required to testify against the offender, which means the victim would have to face the abuser in open court. However, your name will not be released to the public.
If you wish to keep your identity a secret in your case, our Manhattan sexual abuse attorney will protect your anonymity throughout every step of your legal case.
Can I Recover Damages if the Abuser Has No Financial Resources?
Victims of sexual abuse often face a situation when they cannot receive a sufficient amount of compensation from the offender even if his or her misconduct is proven.
If the abuser’s financial resources are insufficient to pay for your court-ordered damages and losses, it might make sense to sue multiple parties. For example, if you were sexually abused by a teacher, you may be able to file a sexual abuse claim against the school that employed the teacher.
I Found Out About My Child’s Sexual Abuse Years After It Happened, What Are My Options?
It is not uncommon for parents of sexually abused children to find out about the crime years after it happened. But does it mean that there is no way they can hold the abuser criminally liable simply because of the statute of limitations for filing a claim expired?
Not necessarily. In New York, the statute of limitations for child sexual abuses cases starts ticking after the abuse child turns 18.
However, the time restrictions for sexual abuse cases in New York have been temporarily eliminated by the New York Child Victims Act, which came into effect on August 14, 2019, and will remain effective through August 14, 2020.
Within that one-year time window, victims of sexual abuse can sue their abuser regardless of when the crime occurred, even if their lawsuit was previously dismissed because the statute of limitations had already passed or the victim failed to bring notices to the defendant prior to suing.
What An Attorney Will Do
Sexual abuse is never okay and it is vitally important that the perpetrators are brought to justice, regardless of how recent or how far in the past the abuse took place. Soloff & Zervanos, P.C. is here to represent the victims of abuse by thoroughly investigating the case and working to secure the following compensation for victims:
- Pain and suffering damages
- Compensation for counseling
- Punitive damages against the perpetrator(s)
- The person who abused you
- Institutions they worked for
- Institutions that covered up the abuse
If you need a Manhattan sexual abuse attorney, please contact us by clicking here or calling us at 215-929-7216.