Religion and Politics

States Move to Ease Restrictions on Child Sex-Abuse Lawsuits

The Associated Press’s David Crary reports that changes in state laws will make it easier for sex-abuse survivors to file lawsuits. These shifts are happening in the midst of the Catholic Church’s sex-abuse crisis. New York is expected to soon pass a measure that would extend the time frame for victims pursuing legal action in the future and create a one-year window that allows victims to sue over past claims. Crary writes, “Nationwide, only a handful of states — including California, Minnesota, Delaware and Hawaii — have created these ‘lookback windows’ enabling victims to file civil lawsuits against institutions such as churches and youth groups that bore some responsibility for the abuse.”

Read at The Associated Press

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