New York Childhood Sexual Abuse Attorneys

FAQ

Click here to see individuals publicly accused or convicted of sexual abuse.

An Opportunity to Be Heard

Following over a decade of partisan dissent, in February of 2019, Governor Cuomo signed the New York Child Victims Act into law, extending the statute of limitations for survivors of child sexual abuse to file criminal and civil claims against their abusers.

Under this new law, beginning on August 14, 2019, survivors may now bring criminal claims against their abusers until they attain the age of 28, and may file a civil lawsuit until they attain the age of 55. If the statute of limitations expired prior to the passing of this law, a survivor now initially had a 1-year window in which to file their claim. The “look-back period” was further extended by an additional year, which expired in 2021. Those whose statute of limitations had not expired, are still allowed the full filing time period and lawmakers are considering additional extensions. Similar statutes have passed or are under consideration in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and other states.

As a result, hundreds of survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of priests, ministers, and other members of the clergy, as well as teachers scout leaders, coaches, and others, have been able to tell their stories. The truth needs to be told. Survivors deserve justice. Children should not be made to suffer by members of our society that we often place the most trust in.

If you or someone you know is a survivor of clergy abuse or child sexual abuse by officials in church, private schools, sports teams, clubs, or other institutions, you can seek justice. Fill out our form on this page or call us. Contacting us is free and confidential. You deserve to be heard.

Survivors of Sexual Abuse

The trauma of childhood sexual abuse doesn’t end when you grow up. Children who were survivors of sexual abuse by a member of the clergy, a teacher, or camp counselor, often face lifelong challenges with guilt, depression, isolation, and anxiety. They are often at higher-than-normal risk for substance abuse, alcoholism, suicide, PTSD, and other mental health conditions. Abuse is often concealed by perpetrators and institutions and survivors are often reluctant or unable to come forward for months or years after the abuse occurred.

Child sexual abuse does not always start with an “attack.” Sexual abuse often begins much earlier, when a predator begins to “groom” their target, often choosing already vulnerable individuals. This is particularly important when the abuser is in a position of trust or authority – such as a clergy member or teacher.

Abuse can include:

• Sexual harassment or threats
• Unwanted touching while clothed or unclothed
• Lewd acts, comments, or gestures
• Sharing of pornographic images or videos
• Providing alcohol or intoxicants to encourage sexual behavior or reduce defenses
• Indecent exposure
• Molestation
• Sexual assaults
• Statutory rape

Lifting the Statute of Limitations for Child Sexual and Clergy Abuse

Recent reporting has shown that incidences of clergy abuse is much more widespread than previously known and have affected many thousands of children and adolescents in New York and nationwide. When dealing with clergy abuse, a religious institution or organization may “hush” up the scandal, silencing the victims and protecting their abusers. Other organizations such as schools, sports clubs and community groups like the Boy Scouts have behaved in a similar way, by hiding the abuse.

 Other organizations facing lawsuits alleging sexual abuse including:

• Churches and religious institutions
• Private schools
• Community groups and clubs
• Foster homes
• Government facilities
• Sports teams
• Hospitals

In many cases, survivors of child sexual abuse will not report the events for months or even years or decades due to the nature of the crimes. Survivors may live in denial or face situations where abuse is suppressed purposefully or due to repressed memories.

The statute of limitations on reporting crimes related to child sexual abuse or molestation vary from state to state and but traditional has been as short as only a few years after the event has occurred. In some cases, the survivors are still children or only a few months or years into adulthood when the statute of limitations has expired.

Legislation to improve the outlook for child sexual abusers had been stalled in many states until a 2019 grand jury released the names of over 300 Catholic clergy accused of abuse in Pennsylvania. This action has helped to prompt the State of New York, the State of New Jersey and others to move forward with legislation to assist survivors in telling their story and seeking justice.

New York Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Continue to Expand

Some states, like New York, have taken concrete action to expand the statute of limitations pertaining to clergy and other child sexual abuse, increasing the age to file criminal complaints or civil lawsuits, or removing the age limits altogether. Like the previous regulations, the statutory changes vary by state but in New York, victims of sexual abuse now have until the age of 28 to file criminal charges and until the age of 55 to file civil lawsuits.

Since the lifting of the statute of limitations on sexual abuse claims, an estimated 11,000 claims of sexual abuse have been filed by people who were minors at the time of the abuse. In 2022, with the passage of the Adult Survivors Act, many adult survivors were also afforded the right to seek justice against their abusers. Some experts estimate that the pool of adult survivors could be even larger than those who were abused as children. The lookback window for adult survivors expired in November 2023.

In 2019, dioceses in New York, New Jersey, and other states published lists of clergy members who have been accused of sexually abusing children. Other institutions and organizations are following suit including churches, the Boy Scouts of America and school groups.

Read The Brooklyn Diocese Report Here

Financial Compensation for Sexual Abuse Survivors

A number of New York dioceses have set up a compensation fund in collaboration, to offer survivors  settlements in exchange for agreeing not to file lawsuits against the church but may be stuck in court systems due to bankruptcy filing. Counseling has also been offered.

Recently, a New York doctor, Stuart Copperman, was ordered to pay $22 million to a survivor who said she had been abused for several years during her childhood. The same doctor is also facing approximately 100 additional cases. Several complaints against clergy members have been settled in awards ranging up to $95 million and multiple dioceses have established funds for compensation, however these may have stalled in court systems due to bankruptcy filings in the Dioceses of Buffalo, Rockville Centre, Rochester, and Syracuse. Once bankruptcy has been filed, settlements must be approved by the bankruptcy court.

As governmental awareness of the breadth of clergy and other childhood sexual abuses continues to increase, the need for justice also increases. Taking compensation or services from established funds may prevent survivors from being able to participate in future compensation recovery efforts, even when the laws change in favor of victims’ rights.

Each case is unique and though nothing can change the past, survivors may be entitled to financial compensation for counseling, medical costs, and pain and suffering – and now have the opportunity to pursue justice. Consultation with an attorney experienced in New York Sexual Abuse cases may help survivors of child sexual abuse or clergy obtain compensation.