Victims sexually abused by priests would be able to sue decades later under new deal
State lawmakers will announce on Thursday they have reached an agreement that will repeal New Jersey’s narrow two-year statute of limitations that childhood victims of sexual assault say have prevented them from suing churches and other nonprofits, NJ Advance Media has learned.
The new legislation, which has not yet been made public, will allow a victim of childhood sexual abuse to bring a civil suit up until the age of 55 or seven years after they make “the discovery that they connect the injury to the abuse,” said Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, the bill’s prime sponsor.
“They may have known they were abused but don’t connect the psychological damage to it,” Vitale said. “Two years is a ridiculously short time” to have to come to grips with what happened, and tell their families, he said.
The legislation also allows adult victims of sexual assault seven years to file a civil lawsuit, instead of the current two-year time limit, Vitale said.
This is a change long sought by sexual assault victims and most recently articulated by Katie Brennan, the state official who accused a member of Gov. Phil Murphy’s campaign senior staff of raping her in 2017. The man she accused, Albert Alvarez, was never criminally charged and has described the encounter as consensual.
A hearing on the bill i...
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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