A Utah legislator has proposed a bill that would eliminate time restrictions on civil child sexual abuse cases. In 2008, Utah eliminated the statute of limitations on criminal child sexual abuse cases. However, under current law, the statute for civil cases runs out four years after a victim turns 18, or at the point of the “discovery” of the abuse.
The new legislation has passed a committee vote and is now before the House for further debate.
According to Fox 13 in Salt Lake City, “Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, argued his bill would allow victims to seek the justice they deserve in court. ‘Every single day, someone who turns 22, loses any opportunity to bring a claim against a perpetrator who abused them sexually as a child,’ Rep. Ivory said.