What Can You Do to Help?
Reforming the statutes of limitations to allow justice for victims is simply a matter of will. Once the number of supporters passes a critical threshold, the will of the people shall be heard and the Legislatures shall hear the call for justice.
Write Your Representative
While we are currently focusing on the pending Legislative effort in New York, we encourage interested persons to contact their representatives - local, state, and national - to help effectuate SOL reform throughout the country.
Click here or use the link on the header above to go to our "Contact an Elected Official" page. There you will find a contact form for our current effort in New York State as well as a zip-code look-up form provided by our friends at Project Vote Smart. Whether you are a New York resident or not, we hope you will use one of the available forms to e-mail your Legislator to help us assert that SOL reform is an important issue.
Visit Our Partners
There are many organizations and individuals who are participating in the movement for SOL reform. Despite some popular misconceptions, the movement for SOL reform is not directed at any one organization. It is directed at perpetrators for the purpose of bringing justice to their victims. Click here to view a list of those with whom we share a common goal. We encourage you to visit their sites, see what they do, and join the movement yourself.
Get Informed & Inform Others
The prevalence of child sexual abuse has just come to the forefront of our national consciousness. It is not the product of one institution or entity but occurs throughout our nation. Due to the especially heinous nature of crimes against children, the time is now to reform the technicality of the statute of limitation to allow victims their day in court and their chance at justice and healing.
The following table outlines, at a glance, the problem posed by maintaining archaic statutes of limitations on child sexual abuse and what we as a society should do about it. Following the table, you may download a one-page PDF of this table. We encourage you to pass it along to friends, family, or acquaintances. Reforming the SOL on child sexual abuse is not a difficult task but it requires an informed citizenry and the sheer will of the people to protect our children through this vital reform.
Reforming Statutes of Limitations on Child Sexual Abuse - At a Glance
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Child sex abuse is an enormous national problem
It is estimated that one in four women in this country have been sexually abused as a child, and one out of every five men. Compounding the problem is the simple fact that the vast majority of sexual abuse – some studies putting the number at 90% - never gets reported.
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Even when victims do speak out, current statute of limitations laws for child sex abuse cases favor the abusers over the victims
In some states, the statute of limitations on child sex abuse is too short for many victims, who often find the courage to speak out and confront their abuser or recover painful buried memories of abuse only after the statute of limitations has run out.
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Neither the individual states nor the federal government have taken adequate steps to protect victims of child sex abuse
Sexual offender lists, GPS tracking, pedophile-free zones, and harsher penalties are only effective if offenders are actually convicted and/or publicly known. Victim support programs only help those who are able to come forward. Short SOLs keep the abusers from being publicly identified, restricting or defeating the effectiveness of these precautions.
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Statute of limitations reform does not target specific groups
Expanding the SOL for child sex abuse is about helping victims and holding offenders accountable regardless of their identity. When the majority of abuse is by family or family acquaintances, allegations that SOL reform is prejudicial against any institution are groundless.
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States must either expand or eliminate the civil and criminal statute of limitations for child sex abuse
State legislatures should follow the example of California, Delaware, and others to eliminate bars on when victims can bring civil suits and authorities can bring criminal charges. Regarding the SOLs, child sexual abuse should be treated more like murder than like a property dispute.
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The Federal government should encourage SOL reform
Congress has already intervened in the area of child sexual abuse by creating a national registry of sex offenders and criminal laws when a child is taken across state lines. It is also constitutional for Congress to condition federal funds for health, victim support programs, or law enforcement, for example, on mandated state SOL reform or to withdraw existing funds on a failure to update SOLs.
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Expanded statutes of limitations result in more predators being held accountable and more victims identified
Predators generally have more than one victim. While criminal SOLs can not be retroactive, civil SOLs can be. Publicly identifying predators could have the dual benefit of bringing justice to victims and preventing future abuse by the same perpetrator. When California passed reform legislation, over 300 previously unknown offenders were publicly exposed and hundreds of previously unknown victims were able to come forward.
Click SOL Reform At-a-Glance to download a PDF of this table.
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The information contained on this site is not to be construed as legal advice and is provided for informational purposes only. While the information is intended to be accurate and up-to-date, SOL-Reform.com does not provide any warranty as to the accuracy of the contents of this site. SOL-Reform.com does not assume responsibility for actions of those in reliance on this information either implied or expressed. If you are seeking legal advice, we recommend you contact a competent, independent attorney.
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Exposing the Myth
SOL reform is not anti-Catholic, nor is it directed against the Catholic Church. Click HERE to see why the argument that it is fails.
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Facts About Child Sexual Abuse
Click HERE for a brief compilation and examination of a number of studies regarding childhood sexual abuse. It is clear from the numbers that something must be done - SOL reform is the most effective method of finding hidden predators.
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Misinformation Spread About the NY Child Victims Act
Read our new document dispelling the untruths that have been circulated against the Child Victims Act and explaining the truth about the Child Victims Act by clicking HERE.
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