This week we asked readers their thoughts on the Child Victims Act that became law in New York State, allowing victims to file civil cases against abusers upwards of 50 years from the time the abuse occurred.

For 15 or 16 years I have been fighting to amend case law. The legal system, when it comes to victims, they’re more concerned with defending the rights of the accused, who most of the time have actually perpetrated acts of violence against an animal or an individual or a group of individuals. I feel the laws have been too lax. Enough already. The laws have to have teeth.
Kay Cardona
Pelham Gardens

Of course it’s a good thing. If you think about it, if you get molested, you need to seek justice. I don’t really care how long it’s been. Twenty years, 30 years? Justice needs to be served. Money is not the only way to complete total compensation, but at least you get something for what happened to you and what you went through. You can never restore someone’s dignity for what you did to them, but they need to be compensated either way.
Jonathan Martey
Bedford Park

Of course it’s a terrible thing when someone is really assaulted. True victims need to be compensated. They can go for therapy; they can have some extra money. And if one day you can forgive those who wronged you, that could be good too.
John Palacio
Norwood

 

I think it’s good that they passed it because there’s a lot of child molesters out here that people don’t know about. And the way they do it is [by getting jobs at] the Board of Education, through our churches, it happens every day. I’m a witness to things like that, so I love this law because it helps people who couldn’t do anything about it after a long time, and now they can actually speak up and come out and talk about it. But what happens when the accuser has passed away. Like Jeffrey Epstein?
William Roman
Fordham Heights

I think it just opens up a Pandora’s box. I think it keeps women, or anyone that has been sexually assaulted or abused as a child or as an adult, in victim mode. I’m not a victim. I don’t dwell on it. It happened and it’s over and done with. People have been brainwashed into thinking they’re owed something. They need to seek help to get them to a place of forgiveness and acceptance.
Grace Lovaglio
Allerton