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New Idaho Law Gives Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse the Hope of Justice

March 22, 2007

Kudos to Idaho Governor Butch Otter who yesterday signed in to law a special
statute of limitations bill that extends the time period in which adult
survivors of child rape and molestation may pursue civil legal actions
against their sexual abusers and those that knowingly unleashed those sexual
predators on children. The new law, which becomes effective July 1st, allows
victims of childhood sexual abuse up to five years after they discover their
injuries and/or the causal relationship between the sexual abuse and those
emotional and psychological injuries.

Scientific studies show that abused children are often unable to fully
appreciate the nature and extent of their psychological problems or are
unable to "connect the dots" between those injuries and the abuse often
until well into adulthood. This new law formally recognizes that reality by
expanding the time period in which adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse
may come to court and use the civil justice system to hold their abusers
accountable.

It is noteworthy that the law ttp://www3.state.id.us/oasis/H0125.htmlpassed the Senate unanimouslyand with only a few dissenters in the House.


One of the sponsors of the bill spoke inspiringly on the senate floor last
week referring to the bill as "a prayer from the soul of a child."

Idahoans should be proud of its lawmakers from both political parties for having the courage, humanity and foresight to standup to those few that opposed this bill.

Idaho's leadership on this issue will long be remembered both as a matter of compassion for abuse survivors but also as pragmatic politics that recognizes that empowering crime victims is the cheapest and most effective form of law enforcement. This law empowers the victims themselves to publicly identify their abusers, often dangerous predators that continue to live in comfortable anonymity and prey upon the a new generation of children in our communities. It should not be forgotten that these child molesters continue to pose a threat to children and their exposure through civil litigation will protect parents and children while also allowing the victims to expend their own resources to pursue justice against the pedophiles and their enablers without placing any additional burden on the police or prosecutors.??

While this statute of limitations law is not a guarantee that an adult survivor of child sexual abuse will be able to make a case that will hold up in court, and victims should have no illusions about the difficulty of these case especially those that are many decades old, but at least this new law gives these long-suffering victims a fighting chance at justice. This new law opens the door just a crack but it gives victims a glimmer of hope of justice for the wrongs done to them and most of all it gives victims a meaningful opportunity for healing and closure.

Former Victims Speak Out Praising New Law Giving Rights to Victims
Posted by: Tim Kosnoff
April 02, 2007

BOISE -- Former victims of sex abuse spoke out on the Statehouse steps today, commending lawmakers for passing legislation that gives victims more time to file lawsuits in their cases. Governor Butch Otter recently signed a bill into law that extends the civil statute of limitations in cases of sexual abuse. Now, a group called SNAP, which stands for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is encouraging victims to come forward and get help. ?We want to thank legislators for making it easier, not harder, for childhood sex abuse victims to seek justice in the courts and expose predators,? said Mary Grant, SNAP regional director. The group also passed out fliers outside the Statehouse that encourage other victims of sexual abuse to come forward and use the law. Adam Atchison NewsChannel 7

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New law gives abuse victims more time
Posted by: CDA Press
April 02, 2007

A victim advocates group is praising a bill signed into law by Gov. Butch Otter last week that would give sex abuse victims more time to file lawsuits. But with some major organizations seemingly exempt from the new law, there is still much more work to do, said Mary Grant, Western regional director for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "I know it's going to be a safer place for kids," Grant said Wednesday. "It's a process of really starting to break down the denial, and that's because of the courage of the victims." Victims of child sex abuse now must file civil claims in their cases within five years after turning 18. Under the bill, a claim could be filed after a child turns 18, within five years of the time he or she "discovers or reasonably should have discovered the abuse and its relationship to an injury suffered by the child." The bill also adds a new section allowing abuse victims to file civil claims against employers of perpetrators, if the employers knew of abuse and were negligent in not helping stop it. Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, said he signed off on the bill because it was a step forward, but had serious reservations since it gave immunity to organizations where the perpetrator is a volunteer. Under the law, two major organizations --the Boy Scouts of America and the Mormon Church -- would be protected from lawsuits, he said "It created a group that would be immune from litigation by saying you could not sue organizations if they weren't an employee," Jorgenson said. "The language of the bill came from a Salt Lake City-based law firm. "It was craftily done." Jorgenson said he pulled a similar bill earlier in the session that would not have exempted volunteer organizations when he heard the current bill was being proposed by Rep. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, who is Mormon. "I did not know it had the exclusion. Once I found out it was a bad bill I told them so," Jorgenson said. "Quite frankly, they (religious organizations) need to be held to the highest standards." Grant agreed with Jorgenson that the exemption should not be included in the bill, but said "it's moving forward, though it's not perfect." "It's a long, uphill battle and it's going to continue that way," Grant said. http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2007/03/29/news/news03.prt 3/30/2007

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