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New York State Assemblywoman Margaret Markey, Delaware State Senator Karen Peterson, and Marci Hamilton, professor of law at Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo of Law, visiting professor at Princeton University, and legal advisor to victims of clergy sexual abuse in several noteworthy cases around the country, will be joined by a number of childhood sexual abuse survivors in calling on all states, including New York, to reform the arbitrary statute of limitation laws that bar childhood sexual abuse victims from bringing criminal and civil legal actions against their perpetrators, at a press conference this Tuesday, Sept. 25, 11 a.m., Jacob Burns Moot Court Room at Cardozo School of Law, 55 Fifth Ave. (at 12th St.). It is estimated that one in five boys and one in four girls in America are victims of childhood sexual abuse. Most of the perpetrators are known by the victims. But, far too many of these crimes go unreported for many years – only 10 percent of victims go to authorities – and most of the offenders escape responsibility. When victims finally – and courageously – speak up, they are denied justice as arbitrary statutes of limitations prohibit them from seeking legal recourse. Two states – California in 2003 and Delaware in 2007, led by Sen. Peterson – have enacted legislation that amends these arbitrary deadlines to enable both criminal prosecutions and civil actions against the perpetrators. In California, “window” legislation, which suspended the civil limitation, helped identify 300 previously anonymous predators and enabled victims to seek justice again them. For the past several years, Assemblywoman Markey has introduced similar legislation in New York. It has passed in the Assembly, but has stalled each time in the Senate. INTERVIEWS WITH ALL PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING SURVIVORS, AT PRESS CONFERENCE |
Child Victim's Voice