Troy Child Victims Act Lawyers

The Child Victims Act is a New York state law that gives adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse a renewed right to bring a legal claim. Even if the statute of limitations had previously expired, the CVA provides a path to justice for victims. According to New York state officials, thousands of lawsuits have been filed under the law—and many more valid claims are still outstanding.

At Powers & Santola, LLP, our Troy Child Victims Act lawyers are respected, results-focused advocates for our clients. We protect the rights of child sex abuse victims in New York. Abusers and the institutions that harbored them must be held accountable for the harm they caused. For a free, strictly private initial consultation with an experienced CVA attorney, please call us today.

What Does The Child Victims Act Do?

Child sex abuse has long been a serious problem in our society. Up until recently, many victims were largely denied full and fair access to the legal system. These claims were previously subject to strict statutory deadlines. The nature of the crime means that it can take a long time for victims to raise a complaint. The CVA extends the statute of limitations to make sure that victims have access to the courts. Here are three key things that you need to know about your rights under New York’s Child Victim Act:

1. Creation of a ‘Look-Back’ Period: To ensure that all victims of child sex crimes have an opportunity to seek justice, the CVA creates a ‘look-back’ period during which otherwise expired claims are resurrected. You can file a civil lawsuit under the CVA regardless of when the abuse occurred. Originally, the look-back period was one year. However, the window has been extended due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Under a new bill signed by Governor Cuomo, the look-back period goes until August 14th, 2021.
2. Extended the Statute of Limitations: For all new claims (and claims not previously expired under the old statute of limitations), a victim of child sex abuse can file a civil lawsuit until their 55th birthday. The criminal statute of limitations was also extended—though not for as long.
3. Covers Organizations and Institutions: The CVA applies to more than just individual perpetrators and abusers. Public and private organizations and institutions can be held accountable under the law. In far too many cases, child sex abuse happened because trusted institutions failed to act or outright covered up the problem. You can file a civil child sex abuse lawsuit against a business, organization, private institution, or public entity.

The New York Child Victims Act also requires specialized training for the judges involved in handling these cases. Victims of childhood sexual abuse face enormous challenges in getting the psychological support that they deserve. The law includes provisions that help to ensure that New York state courts are fully prepared to take on the influx of child sex abuse cases. This is a decades-long problem that must be addressed.