Pennsylvania State Senator Rob Teplitz has introduced a bill that would place civil claims of sexual abuse on par with criminal charges of sexual abuse. Presently, Pennsylvania law allows victims of child sexual abuse to bring criminal charges against their abusers until they reach age 50. In civil matters, those same victims have only until age 30 to seek justice in civil court.
Calling the discrepancy in the law arbitrary and archaic, Senator Teplitz stated, “It often takes victims of sexual abuse years or decades to have the courage to share their traumatic experiences. This bill would allow victims to seek justice and have their day in court.”
Senator Teplitz is correct in his assessment of the law and should be applauded and supported for introducing this new legislation. The civil statute of limitations must reflect the fact that many survivors of sexual abuse have had their lives ruined as a result and it often takes them decades to appreciate the impact of the sexual abuse as well as muster the fortitude and the ability to seek justice in the courts.