In 2021, the Louisiana legislature passed the Child Victims Act, enacting a special exception to the state’s statute of limitations for sexual assault. This provision affords adult survivors of child sexual abuse three years to file civil lawsuits and damages – no matter how long ago the wrongdoing occurred.
But that “lookback window” is set to close on June 14, 2024.
Holding Attackers and the Institutions Behind Them Accountable
Louisiana’s statute of limitations for claims involving sexual misconduct generally requires adults who suffered sexual assault as minors to file legal claims by their 28th birthday. The legislature aptly determined that such a hardline cutoff unfairly barred many survivors from coming forward, although legislators stopped short of a permanent extension of the statute of limitations.
Several factors justified the implementation of the three-year lookback window, including the Catholic Church’s efforts to cover up sexual assault cases, repressed memories and difficulty recollecting childhood sexual assault, and societal and psychological barriers that prevent survivors from reporting sexual misconduct until much later in life, if at all. On that last point, authoritative research shows the average age a child sexual abuse survivor reveals their assault is 52.
The Courage To Step Forward
The Louisiana Children’s Code defines abuse as an act that seriously endangers a child’s physical, mental, or emotional health, welfare, and safety, including:
• The involvement of the child in any sexual act with a parent or any other person.
• The aiding or toleration by the parent, caretaker, or any other person of the child’s involvement in any sexual act with any other person or in pornographic displays.
If you were subjected to sexual abuse as a child by a clergy member, teacher, counselor, coach, or other adult, now is the time to seek justice for their wrongdoing, especially if the assault occurred before the mid-1990s. After June, your ability to recover damages and seek justice may be forever barred.
Please contact the Lamothe Law Firm today for a free consultation. Our experienced sexual abuse attorneys will show you the respect you deserve while fighting vigorously for your rights.
