In addition, the diocese placed its assets such as cash, investments, cars and accounts receivable at $21.2 million but has not determined the current value of the 14 properties it owns. It lists its current liabilities at $2.9 million but that does not include the more than 60 lawsuits by men who say they were raped and sexually assaulted as boys by Christian Brothers and other staff at the diocese-run Mount Saint John Academy in Deep River.
When legislators in New York passed the Child Victims Act in 2019, it was prompted by an understanding that survivors of sexual abuse were struggling to heal and needed help. Outdated laws kept them from finding justice through the courts, and the institutions which had fostered the abuse were slow to respond on their own.
What the legislators did not understand, perhaps, was how pervasive the sexual abuse of children had been across the state and the sheer number of individuals who had been victimized.
If you were a victim of childhood sexual abuse in New York, there's still time to take steps to seek justice.
The "Window to Justice" opened by New York's Child Victims Act closes this week, but there is still time for folks who were abused in New York to come forward. The deadline to file a lawsuit is Friday, August 13, so if you're debating whether or not this is the right step for you, now is the time to get in touch with an expert and ask questions.
If you were abused in New York but aren't interested in filing a lawsuit, you can also report your abuse to New York Attorney General Letitia James.
No matter what you decide to do, SNAP volunteers are there to support you. We have many great advocates in New York who can help you and can connect you to resources, so don't hesitate to reach out.
We are here to support you!
Your friends at SNAP
http://www.snapnetwork.org/
The window to file lawsuits under New York State’s Child Victims Act will come to a close later this month, but until a few weeks ago, David Ferrick didn’t know that the law enabling victims of sexual assault to sue even existed.
A Minneapolis-area school run by the Christian group People of Praise mishandled a student’s allegation of sexual abuse against a teacher, the school board president acknowledged in a recent email to teachers and parents.
Justice & Law - National - Violence & Harassment
https://msmagazine.com/2021/08/05/sexual-abuse-survivors-statute-of-limitations-child-sex-abuse/
One in nine girls and one in 53 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult. (Austin Monitor / Creative Commons)
