Survivors in Colorado Will Have a Limited Time to File Lawsuits for Sexual Abuse Occurring Between 1960 and 2021
With the new year comes a new law opening the doors of Colorado’s courthouses to survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
On January 1, 2022, the Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act went into effect, allowing survivors of child sexual abuse to sue schools, government entities, or private institutions that cover up sexual abuse, as well as the perpetrators, and seeks to prevent future instances of sexual abuse.
The Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act created a new, freestanding cause of action, specifically tailored to address coverups that have persisted in Colorado’s education and religious institutions for decades. The law creates a new right of relief for any person sexually abused in Colorado, including those abused while participating in a youth program as a child.
Until now, Colorado had a very short window of opportunity to file legal claims for those responsible for sexual abuse. The time to file a lawsuit, called a statute of limitations, often expired decades before a survivor even made their first disclosure of abuse. This narrow timeline has historically prevented hundreds of child sexual abuse victims from accessing the only option they have to seek monetary compensation for the pain they suffered – the courts.
This new legal option is available to a victim of sexual misconduct that occurred on or after January 1, 1960. A person who was the victim of sexual misconduct that occurred between January 1, 1960, and January 1, 2022, must file their lawsuits before January 1, 2025.
If you were sexually abused in the state of Colorado, call Horowitz Law’s experienced attorneys now at 888-283-9922 or send us an email now.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the State of Colorado. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest, teacher, or other youth leader in Colorado, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused in Colorado now have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Colorado and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.