Abolish The Statue Of Limitation For Victims Of Childhood Sexual Abuse

On behalf of Andreozzi + Foote posted in Injuries on Friday, February 28, 2014.

There is pending legislation in Pennsylvania that will abolish the statute of limitations for victims of childhood sexual abuse. This legislation is necessary because many victims of childhood sexual abuse do not come forward until many years later, and sometimes decades after the abuse. This bill would also introduce a two-year time period during which survivors of childhood sexual abuse, whose claims were already time-barred, could come forward and file a civil suit against their abusers or any entity that allowed the abuse to occur. Several other states, including California have passed statutes that included this so-called “look back” provision, which led to numerous suits being filed against the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, as a result of what occurred in California, the Catholic Church has been lobbying against this bill by stating that it is a “money-grab” and “evidence of anti-Catholic bias.” As of now, the bill has not been passed or even voted on. There is always a hope that this bill will pass, and victims who have been shut out of the courthouse will finally be able to seek justice for their abuse.