New York extends civil ‘look back’ for child sexual assault victims
ALBANY — New Yorkers who were sexually assaulted as children will have a little more time to take legal action against their alleged abusers.
Gov. Cuomo on Friday extended a “look back window” created as part of the Child Victims Act last year that allows survivors abused as kids, to file civil suits beyond the normal statute of limitations.
The one-year window, which was slated to expire in August, will be extended until Jan. 14 in response to the coronavirus crisis’ impact on the state court system, the governor said during a briefing Friday at the Murray Student Center at Marist College in Poughkeepsie.
“Because of the reduction in court services we want to extend that window and we’ll extend it for an additional five months,” Cuomo said. “Because people need access to the courts to make their claim, because justice too long delayed is justice denied.”
Nonessential court filings have been frozen since March 22 as New York became the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. and the court system suspended most civil actions other than a limited number of time-sensitive matters such as temporary orders of protection.
Earlier this week, the New York Law Journal reported that the court system was preparing to allow new filings under the Child Victims Act in the coming weeks.
Lawmakers have been calling for a longer extension of the lookback window for months, predating the pandemic. They believe that more time is needed to allow survivors the chance to decide if they want to come forward and pursue a lawsuit.
State Sen. Brad Hoylman, a sponsor of the Child Victims Act along with Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, both Manhattan Democrats, applauded the five-month extension, but said more must be done to help victims.
“Survivors need the assurance that New York will stand with them, even after the pandemic ends," he said, noting that the current crisis has compounde...
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