ICYMI: Jeffrey Epstein accusers eligible to file lawsuits under New York's new Child Victims Act

NEW YORK (07/10/2019) (readMedia)-- Today the New York Daily News reports that Jeffrey Epstein's alleged victims may be eligible under the newly enacted Child Victim's Act to sue him for civil damages, regardless of when the abuse happened. Safe Horizon, the largest victims service provider in the country, fought for over a decade to include the contested "look back window" so that all survivors could have a pathway to justice in the courts.

Read more here.

Jeffrey Epstein accusers eligible to file lawsuits under New York's new Child Victims Act

By STEPHEN REX BROWN

Women who accuse Jeffrey Epstein of abusing them as minors can soon sue him under a new state law that will be used to compensate victims of sex abuse by priests.

Alleged Epstein victims are eligible under the Child Victims Act to bring civil claims against the perv financier for one year starting mid-August.

The feds said Epstein abused girls as young as 14 between 2002 and 2005, meaning his alleged victims are likely now in their late 20s or older.

Safe Horizon, which advocated for the act for over 10 years, said it was planning a larger awareness campaign next month, when the window for claims opens.

"The CVA at its heart is about increasing avenues to justice for survivors of childhood sexual abuse in New York State. This applies whether survivors were abused by clergy, by teachers, by coaches, or by billionaires," Safe Horizon Vice President Michael Polenberg said.

"While we are pleased that the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District is bringing new charges forward, we recognize that some survivors may also choose to file civil claims against Mr. Epstein for the heinous crimes he is being charged with committing. Thanks to the Child Victims Act, this option - long denied to survivors over the age of the 23 - is now available."

The Daily News advocated for the act, which reformed the statute of limitations for cases of child sexual abuse. Gov. Cuomo signed it into law in February.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CHILD VICTIMS ACT

What does the Child Victims Act do?

The Child Victims Act gives survivors of child sexual abuse more time to seek justice in our courts. Moving forward under the law survivors who were under the age of 23 on February 14, 2019 will now have until:

Their 55th birthday to file a civil lawsuit against their abuser.

Their 25th birthday to file criminal misdemeanor charges against their abusers and their 28th birthday to file criminal felony charges.

The CVA also creates a one year "window," beginning in mid-August 2019 through August 2020, when ANY adult survivor of child sexual abuse can file a civil lawsuit against their abuser and/or a negligent institution, no matter how long ago the abuse took place.

What does the one-year window do?

The one-year window allows any survivor who had aged out of the previous statute of limitations to file civil charges.

This includes survivors who have never filed a case or claim and those whose cases were dismissed because of the previous statute of limitations. Survivors of ANY age can file a civil case during the window.

When can survivors file a suit under the one-year window?

Suits can be filed between August 2019 and August 2020. These claims do not need to be finished before August 2020, just filed.