California Lawmakers Seek to Remove Civil Statute of Limitations for Child Sexual Abuse Claims

Victims of childhood sexual abuse in California will no longer face civil lawsuit deadlines against their alleged abusers under a new bill announced Monday by Assemblyman Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) and Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley).

The Survivor Justice Act aims to end the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, including filing suits against institutions that may have allowed or covered up the abuse. Under current state law, survivors must file a civil suit before they reach the age of 40.th birthday or, in some cases, within five years of becoming aware of adult abuse.

“By lifting the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, we are helping survivors find the critical solution they need,” Addis said in a press release released Monday. “The time has come to put an end to this arbitrary and cruel limitation of the time of justice.”

The bill could have serious financial implications for high-profile organizations such as the Catholic Church or the Boy Scouts of America, which are currently tackling widespread and ongoing sex abuse scandals.

Skinner said the bill would promote healing for those affected, as well as hold powerful organizations accountable.

“The advantage of removing this statute of limitations is that it can bring [the abuse] lighten up, hold organizations to account and hopefully put an end to this practice,” Skinner said. “Sunlight is a great disinfectant.”

Investigative reporter Candace Nguyen takes a closer look at proposed state law changes that would allow victims of child sexual abuse to sue their alleged abusers, no matter how long ago the crime happened.

Lawyers representing the Catholic dioceses of Northern California did not immediately respond to NBC Bay Area’s request for comment.

A spokesman for the Archdiocese of San Francisco said they had no comment on the proposed legislation.

Over the past two years, the NBC Bay Area Investigation Unit has questioned dozens of alleged victims of abuse by Catholic clergy across the state. The recent three-year “Lookback Window” passed by the 2019 California State Legislature allowed victims of childhood sexual abuse to file new civil lawsuits regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred. But that window closed only at the end of 2022.

In Northern California alone, more than 1,500 lawsuits have been filed against the Catholic Church. In almost every case, it took decades for the accuser to come forward.

Some have told NBC Bay Area they can’t handle their abuse at such a young age. Others say they were discouraged by bullies or even their own family.

Victim advocates welcomed the announcement. “The introduction of this bill is a monumental step forward and brings much-needed awareness to reform archaic laws that keep victims from speaking out and allow abusers to evade justice and harm others,” said Mike McDonnell, a spokesman for the Violence Survivors Network. priests (SNAP).

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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.

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