Hundreds of Women Set to Sue New York Over Allegations of Prison Sex Abuse
The New York Times, November 16, 2022: Hundreds of Women Set to Sue New York Over Allegations of Prison Sex Abuse
“Hundreds of women who have accused prison guards of sexual abuse going back decades plan to sue New York State under new legislation that allows survivors to take legal action no matter how many years have elapsed.
“The Adult Survivors Act, passed in May, gives people who say they were sexually abused a one-time opportunity to file civil suits long after the statute of limitations for most criminal cases has expired.
“New York lawmakers anticipated that current or former prisoners would sue. Like the Child Victims Act that passed in 2019, which extended the statutes of limitations for those abused as children, the new law allows people to file allegations about mistreatment in state facilities, including prisons.
“There is no cap on how much the state can pay out to settle such lawsuits, said Brad Hoylman, the New York State senator who sponsored the legislation. The money would come out of the $220 billion state budget, and possibly from the roughly $500 million reserved for unexpected expenses. California approved similar legislation in September.
“The legislation takes effect in New York on Nov. 24. At the law firm of Slater Slater and Schulman alone at least 750 individual civil lawsuits on behalf of incarcerated women are expected to be filed, lawyers there said. Some of the women’s cases date back to the 1980s and 1990s. Other law firms are likely to follow. Slater Slater and Schulman has previously pursued sex-abuse suits against the Boy Scouts of America and the Catholic Church.”
Additional reading:
Rolling Stone, November 18, 2022: High-Profile Push to Alert Sexual-Assault Victims of Grace Period to Sue Abusers
Bloomberg, November 17, 2022: Trump Rape Accuser to Sue Him for Battery Under NY Survivors Law, Judge Told
The Intercept_, November 3, 2022: Sexual Assault Allegation Exposes Self-Policing Prison System
