New York Let Childhood Sex Abuse Victims Sue And 9,000 Went To Court

Thousands of new allegations against priests, teachers and other authorities have intensified the harsh light on institutions entrusted with caring for c...

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — For two years, New York temporarily set aside its usual time limit on civil lawsuits in order to allow victims of childhood sexual abuse to sue churches, hospitals, schools, camps, scout groups and other institutions and people they hold responsible for enabling pedophiles or turning a blind eye to wrongdoing. That window closes Saturday, after more than 9,000 lawsuits were filed, a deluge whose impact may be felt for many years. Four of the state’s Roman Catholic dioceses have filed for bankruptcy partly as a result of litigation unleashed by the state’s Child Victims Act. Thousands of new allegations against priests, teachers, scout leaders and other authorities have intensified the already harsh light on institutions entrusted with caring for children.