Brooklyn, NY – Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon released the following statement on the Child Victims Act (A.2683) and the one-year “look-back window” that went into effect in New York State on August 14^th, 2019 and closes on August 13^th, 2020:

“I am so relieved that the Child Victims Act is now effective so that victims of childhood sexual abuse will be able to hold their abusers accountable in a court of law. This legislation extends the civil and criminal statutes of limitations, and also institutes a one-year “look-back window” so that past victims may have an opportunity to seek justice in court.

"The people who sexually abuse children are often people in our everyday lives, including family members, neighbors, or trusted members of the civic or faith community. Victims may be too afraid or too young to have the ability to come forward, so they may not seek justice until later in life. We need to ensure that victims understand that they are not alone and that they now have the opportunity to seek justice if they are willing and ready to speak out against their abuser.

“During this one year “look–back window”, adult survivors of any age will be able to file a civil case against an abuser or an institution that harbors them, regardless of the previous statute of limitations. This one-year window will allow victims who have lived with the profound effects of childhood sexual abuse to finally seek the justice they’re owed.

“Survivors of childhood sexual abuse have been denied justice for too long. New York had some of the most restrictive statutes of limitations, and after too many years of work from survivors and the advocacy community, survivors will finally have the power they deserve to seek justice in court.”