Victims, Roman Catholic Church spar over New York sex abuse bill

Albany, N.Y. — New York legislation to relax one of the nation’s most restrictive statutes of limitations on child molestation victims continues to stall under pressure from the Roman Catholic Church and other opponents.

The bill has circled the drain in Albany for a decade, but victims and advocates are optimistic this year because they’ve gained a key supporter, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The fate of the Child Victims Act could rest with Senate Leader John Flanagan, a Long Island Republican, who supporters say has refused to meet to discuss the bill.

“They are denying us our day in court,” said Bridie Farrell, 35, a former competitive speed skater and a leading advocate for the bill. “They are protecting the institutions of the abusers.”

Four years ago Farrell publicly accused a former teammate and mentor of repeatedly abusing her when he was 33 and she was 15 — too long ago to file charges or a civil suit.

Currently, under New York law, victims of child sexual abuse have until age 23 to bring either criminal charges or file a lawsuit against their alleged abusers. It’s one of the tightest statutes of limitations in the country, a distinction that advocates say puts New York in the company of states like Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Michigan.

Massachusetts, another heavily Catholic state, gives victims up to 35 years to sue. Ohio and Pennsylvania both give victims until age 30.