Albany, NY – A controversial bill — allowing victims of sex abuse to file suit years after the abuse — was approved Tuesday by an Assembly committee.
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The Assembly Codes Committee, in an 11-9 vote, approved sending the measure from Assemb. Margaret Markey (D- Maspeth) to the Assembly floor for a vote.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D- Manhattan) told Newsday the bill would be considered, though he didn’t know if it would pass. The measure has been adopted in the past by the Assembly only to die in the then-Republican-controlled State Senate.
The Catholic Church and others oppose the bill because it temporarily lifts for one year the statute of limitations on abuse cases, many of which took place years ago.
A rival bill from Assemb. Vito Lopez (D-Brooklyn) failed to pass the committee. Its primary focus is to ease the ability of victims of future abuse to file lawsuits against their abusers but not third parties such as employers.
The Lopez bill has the support of the Catholic Church.
In the Senate, the Markey bill is sponsored by Sen. Thomas Duane (D-Manhattan). It will be considered by the Senate Codes Committee, though no time frame has yet been set.
One step closer. We should not use this law to go after institutions… punish the offenders and the INDIVIDUALS who protected them. If the rosh yeshiva protected the offender, he should be charged as well. PLEASE do not go after the yeshivos themselves. Only the community will suffer.
In the end, this law says one thing to me… If you have reason to be concerned, quietly turn yourself in or RUN. Tell your wife what you have done and beg for forgiveness on your way out the door. Spare us all the chilul H’ and the public spectacle. Spare your children the humiliation of watching you be walked out the door in handcuffs. Fortunately for all of your potential victims, your days of hiding and being protected are over. Young men and women are coming forward… you will lose everything… and its about time.
We give gratitude to hashem for this great day….now we must unite together as a united community to help the markey pass the nys assembly and the nys senate.
we want to thank the hundreds of volunteers who worked the phones and call the lawmakers to get the marky bill thru the code commitee chaired by asseblyman lentol.
While I certainly understand the sentiment, I don’t understand how this can be done legally.
You may as well get rid of the statute of limitations altogether.
perhaps ohel or aguda can set it up……chazk
Is that a joke? The Agudah joined the Catholic Church on this one. Birds of a feather flock together. They all have lots to lose. Here’s hoping they do.
Does anyone know if a child who got molested by another child do anything to that child when they get older? Is this also in that bill?