What the New ‘Eliminating Limits to Justice for Child Sex Abuse Victims Act’ in the U.S. Means for Survivors
For years millions of former sex abuse victims have had to deal with the trauma and stigma of their abuse without a way to seek any sort of compensation or justice for the harm that they have suffered. For many, living with these types of trauma is a lifelong battle that requires ongoing therapy and support just to deal with. Meanwhile the perpetrators of these crimes are able to go unpunished due to the statute of limitations.
However, thanks to a recently passed act in the United States, the time limit for survivors to get justice has just changed and now many people who were victimized will have a chance to get closure and possibly even compensation for their losses.
What is a Statute of Limitations?
A statute of limitations is a law passed by the federal and state governments which limits the amount of time a person has to pursue a criminal or civil case against a person for crimes they have committed or damages they have caused.
In the case of child sex abuse, each state has set statutes of their own, some ranging from just a few to up to 20 years. However, legislation at the state level is always rapidly changing.
Federal sex crimes typically fall under a harsher category of penalties, but until the passing of the recent act, they too had a statute of limitations for civil action against the at-fault party, leaving many without the means to get compensation.
Then vs. Now: What Has Changed?
While states are still figuring out their own guidelines in terms of sex crimes, the federal government has had its own guidelines for many years.
The original statute of limitations regarding federal sex crimes against children was set at ten years from the time the victim turned 18. In other words, a person had until age 28 to file a case for civil damages against the person or persons who sexually abused them.
The new law makes it so there is no statute of limitations for civil cases against perpetrators of sexual abuse against children. It’s important to remember that there is a difference between state sexual abuse charges and federal ones. However, this gives victims of some of the most heinous crimes the chance to recover compensation for the trauma that they have gone through.
What This Means For Survivors
With the lifting of the federal statute of limitations on civil claims, survivors of sexual abuse as children now have a chance to heal and get some closure for the suffering they endured. Many times it takes victims years to come forward about their abuse because trauma, especially sexual trauma is not always easy to process.
Some victims don’t even recognize what they went through as sexual abuse until they’ve had time to distance themselves from the experience and receive professional help. This is why so many have gone without compensation, because by the time they learn to accept and cope with their sexual abuse, the statute of limitations had already been reached.
With the passing of this law, victims will have time to get help and treatment for their abuse, come to terms with it and in their own time and at their own pace, seek compensation for the harm that was done to them.
To help victims of sexual abuse, we have included some resources that are available and we encourage anyone who suffered sexual abuse as a child to seek help and then contact an attorney to see about getting compensation for the abuse they suffered.
Resources For Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse
If you or someone you know was a victim of childhood sexual abuse, it is never too late to get help. Here we have some resources available to adult survivors. Don’t let abuse ruin your life, get the help and support you need today.
The National Sex Abuse Hotline
https://www.rainn.org/resources
https://www.rainn.org/articles/adult-survivors-child-sexual-abuse
Survivor Support Through Enough Abuse
https://enoughabuse.org/get-help/survivor-support/
HAVOCA Resources
https://www.havoca.org/resources/
Other Resources and Support
https://www.childwelfare.gov/organizations/?CWIGFunctionsaction=rols:main.dspList&rolType=Custom&RS_ID=67