(Erie County, NY) The Erie County Legislature passed a resolution yesterday introduced by Legislator Tim Meyers (D-Cheektowaga) in support of state legislation that brings justice to victims of childhood sexual abuse by eliminating statutes of limitation for criminal and civil cases, and allowing victims to seek legal recourse as adults.

“The Child Victims Act provides victims the necessary steps to hold abusers accountable,” said Erie County Legislator Tim Meyers. “It can take years for kids to understand and cope with the trauma of sexual abuse, and the Child Victims Act gives them the time to come to terms with their reality and take legal action. I want to thank my colleagues in the Legislature for joining me in standing with survivors and supporting this law.”

Under current law, child victims must file a civil lawsuit or act for a criminal lawsuit by the time they turn 23 years old. Under this proposed legislation, victims are able to bring lawsuits up to their 50^th birthday for civil litigation and to their 28^th birthday for felony criminal charges. The Child Victims Act also creates a one-year “look-back” period for civil actions concerning sexual offenses, allowing victims to seek civil relief from individuals or institutions no matter when the abuse occurred or their current age.

“The ‘look-back’ window will compel institutions to act responsibly and with transparency in handling sexual abuse charges,” added Meyers. “We’ve seen a lot of cases in Western New York in which some have been totally mishandled and even covered up; however, I am confident that this state legislation will make significant strides in protecting survivors.”