My Letter to the New York Times: Justice for Victims of Sexual Abuse

To the Editor:

Re “Teacher Out at Fordham Prep After School Says ’84 Abuse Claim Is Credible” (news article, Aug. 9):

Survivors like Michael Meenan are entitled to more than an overdue apology from institutions that failed to act on claims of child sexual abuse. They deserve access to justice.

Legislation I sponsor in Albany (S.7296/A.9877) would give it to them by eliminating New York’s prohibitively short criminal and civil statutes of limitation for these crimes and creating a one-time yearlong period to bring a lawsuit.

Because of New York’s restrictive statutes of limitation in cases of child sexual abuse, a survivor only has until the age of 23 to file criminal charges or initiate a civil lawsuit. As a result, not only was Mr. Meenan precluded from legal redress, but for more than three decades an untold number of young people were knowingly left in the hands of an accused abuser.

In the interest of equity and public safety, New York should join the majority of other states and change its laws to give child sexual abuse survivors sufficient time to seek their day in court.

BRAD HOYLMAN

New York

Originally published in the the New York Times on August 18, 2016

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/18/opinion/justice-for-victims-of-sexual-abuse.html