Supporting Victims of Sexual Abuse Across New York

If you or a loved one have been the victim of sexual abuse or a sexual assault incident, our law firm offers our sincerest support and compassion. Non-consensual sexual contact and sexual violence are horrific, unthinkable acts that leave adult and child victims feeling violated, traumatized, and suffering physical injuries.

A sexual assault victim should consider retaining legal representation from sexual abuse attorneys. New York sees over 1,000 reported cases of rape every year, and many sexual abuse cases sadly go unreported. If you or someone you love was the victim of sexual misconduct, please get in touch with our New York law office to discuss your case with an experienced sexual assault lawyer today.

Our legal team prides itself on providing compassionate services to sexual assault survivors with civil claims hoping to hold their abuser accountable. Our law firm has garnered a sterling reputation as one of the top sexual abuse legal advocates across the northeast of the United States. We offer free consultations to prospective new clients interested in our legal services. If you would like to pursue legal action against your sexual abusers, please get in touch with our New York law firm to discuss your case with an adult or child sexual abuse attorney today.

What Should Sexual Abuse Survivors Do After an Assault?

If you have been the victim of sexual predators, there are certain steps that you should consider taking following a sexual assault incident that could help save your life and strengthen your sexual abuse claim.

Your first priority should be to move to a safe place. Depending on your incident’s circumstances and age, this may or may not be possible. Many victims of unwanted sexual acts experience some form of shock or derealization. Once you can calm down, find a way to get somewhere safe with trustworthy people.

One of the first coping mechanisms after surviving an unwanted sexual act is to confide in a trusted individual and gain emotional support. Consider calling a trusted family member or close friend.

Even if you believe your physical injuries to be minor, it is still important that you seek immediate medical attention following a sexual assault. Medical professionals will examine your injuries and give you medications while also offering medical support to help you recover from the incident.

Many survivors often try to avoid processing the sex abuse they’ve endured. However, avoiding processing the experience does not lead to healing. Consider getting into a support group or professional therapy to discuss your sexual violence incident.

If you hope to seek justice with a civil claim that’s holding sexual predators accountable for their actions, please contact New York sexual assault attorneys to discuss your case in more detail. Our law firm can help you file a civil lawsuit to recover compensation for things like medical bills, emotional distress, and more.

How Does New York Law Define Sexual Abuse?

The state of New York has broad definitions for what it considers to be sexual abuse and sexual assault. Essentially, any non-consensual sexual contact or act of a sexual nature could be considered a crime in New York.

Examples include the following:
Child sex abuse
Coerced sexual acts
Date rape
Inappropriate sexual topics with the victim without consent
Disrespecting a victim’s boundaries
Engaging in a sexual act with an individual who cannot grant legal consent
Flashing
Forced masturbation
Forced oral sex
Forcibly penetrating another person with a body part or foreign object
Public display of explicit imagery that was taken in a private context
Sexual acts achieved through violence or the threat of violence
Sexual exploitation
Sexual harassment
Sexual molestation
Third-degree rape
Unwanted exposure to pornography
Unwanted touching, kissing, fondling, or bodily contact
Voyeurism

What is the New York Child Victims Act?

In early 2019, New York enacted the Child Victims Act, which allows victims up to the age of 55 to bring forth legal action for damages against their abusers. This new law alters the statute of limitations for prosecuting child sex abuse crimes and filing civil lawsuits for damages against individuals, institutions, and churches involved in child sexual abuse.

If you suffered sexual abuse as a child, you can now file a lawsuit against your abusers and institutions until you reach the age of 55. Previously, the age for child sexual abuse victims to come forward and seek justice was 23. If your case was previously dismissed because it fell outside of the statute of limitations, you can bring a new civil lawsuit.

Individuals who suffered child sexual abuse at public institutions can now file civil lawsuits against those organizations without having to file a notice of claim or notice of intention.

To learn more, please contact our New York sexual abuse lawyers to discuss your case today.

When is it Impossible for Individuals to Provide Legal Consent?

Consent must be given mutually, knowingly, and voluntarily to avoid confusion or criminal allegations in any sexual contact scenario. This consent could be provided through words or actions, just as long as the intention is clear and explicit. Silence is not consent.

Additionally, there are several instances where a person cannot legally offer their consent.

Such instances include the following:

If the victim has a mental disability
If the victim is incapacitated due to alcohol or drugs
the victim felt coerced into giving consent
And typically, if the victim is 17 years old or younger

What is Institutional Abuse?

Sexual abuse cases are unfortunately common in various types of institutions where individuals are made to feel especially vulnerable or small.

Religious institutions and churches have been in the news a lot over the past several decades for sexual abuse scandals involving priests, pastors, clergy members, and other religious leaders.
Sexual assault or harassment in the workplace is also fairly common. This happens when there is a power imbalance, such as instances between supervisors and their subordinates. However, sexual assault may also occur between two colleagues of equal status in the company.
Prisons, foster care facilities, rehabilitation facilities, military institutions, camps, sports clubs, childcare centers, homeless shelters, and educational institutions are other areas where institutional abuse is tragically common.

Our law firm can help you hold the institutions accountable for allowing such heinous acts to go on.

What Are the Legal Options for Sexual Abuse Victims in New York?

To hold a sexual predator accountable, sexual assault survivors can either file a civil claim, a criminal claim, or both. A civil case may be the preferred option if you wish to recover medical expenses, pain and suffering, or other monetary compensation. Most sexual abuse victims in New York seek justice and financial recovery with the legal assistance of a professional attorney.

Sexual assault victims pursuing criminal claims against their abusers will be only minimally involved in the criminal case, as the majority of the case will take place in a legal battle between the accused and the state of New York. If found guilty, the abuser could be convicted and face prison time. However, sexual abuse victims filing criminal cases may not be able to receive nearly as much in terms of financial compensation as they would if they had pursued a civil claim.

To understand the differences and the benefits of either option, please contact a New York sexual abuse lawyer at our law firm today.

Schedule a Free Confidential Consultation with Compassionate New York City Sexual Abuse Attorneys Today

It is normal to suffer physical injuries, mental anguish, and other forms of pain and suffering following a sexual assault. The legal proceedings in sexual abuse cases can be complicated and overwhelming, especially if you do not retain professional legal counsel from experienced attorneys.

At our law firm, we will help you pursue justice and financial recovery for the wrongs that have been done to you or your loved ones. We proudly provide our legal services with compassion, sincerity, and decency. While no successful legal case or financial recovery can ever truly undo the damage done, we hope to help you get back on your feet after your unfortunate incident so that you can return to a more or less normal life and breathe a little easier again.

To learn more about our legal services and how New York sexual abuse lawyers can help you through this difficult time, please contact our NYC law firm to schedule your free consultation today. You can reach us at 866-311-8640.