Childhood sexual abuse is a serious problem in the United States, and it can have long-lasting effects on victims.
The consequences of childhood sexual abuse can be devastating for victims, especially if the abuse occurred during their youth. It can lead to low self-esteem, depression and anxiety disorders as well as suicidal thoughts and behavior later in life.
Childhood sexual abuse is defined as any kind of sexual activity between an adult and a child under 18 years old, even if it was consensual. In addition to physical contact such as penetration or touching private parts, childhood sexual abuse may also include exposing one’s genitals to a minor or showing pornography to a minor.
In recent years, there have been laws enacted to help protect children against abuse and provide compensation for victims. If you suffered childhood sexual abuse, you may be entitled to file a claim against the perpetrator or those who allowed the abuse to occur, with the help of a sexual abuse lawyer.
Claims Against The Church
The Catholic Church has seen a number of lawsuits and investigations alleging sexual abuse over the last several decades. The church is currently facing numerous lawsuits relating to the sexual abuse of children by priests, as well as other religious officials.
The church has been accused of failing to protect victims from these crimes and ignoring credible claims of abuse. The church has also been accused of covering up these crimes by moving priests around rather than reporting them to law enforcement agencies or taking action against the abusers themselves.
The Child Victims Act
The Child Victims Act, which passed in New York State in January 2019, will retroactively allow victims of childhood sexual abuse to bring claims for damages against their abusers.
This new law also allows for the unsealing of court records related to these lawsuits and makes it possible for victims to bring claims against institutions like schools and churches that were previously immune from liability under New York’s statute of limitations laws.
The Child Victims Act will affect all types of child sexual abuse cases in New York State, including cases involving physical or emotional abuse, or both. It also applies if the victim did not make his or her claim prior to April 25, 2019; this means that even if you did not know about your right to file a lawsuit until after April 25th, you may still have a claim under this new law.
Other states have passed similar laws, giving survivors a chance to file claims or lawsuits against their abusers.
The Final Word
The Catholic Church has long been aware of the sexual abuse of children and has done very little to stop it. In many cases, priests were moved from parish to parish and allowed to continue their abuse.
Now, there is a new window of opportunity for survivors of childhood sex crimes to file claims against the church or other organizations that allowed this abuse to happen. A sexual abuse lawyer can help you get justice against the perpetrators before the window for filing lawsuits under these new laws closes.
