Massachusetts is one of only six states that still has both a criminal and civil Statutes of Limitations (SOL) on child sexual abuse.

Dear Citizens to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse,
Justice should not have a time limit. Unfortunately, Massachusetts is one of only six states that still has both a criminal and civil Statutes of Limitations (SOL) on child sexual abuse. Several bills currently before the Judiciary Committee would eliminate the civil and criminal SOL. Survivors and advocates testified at the Public Hearing in September in favor of passing these bills. Unfortunately, this week, the Boston Catholic Archdiocese announced its opposition.
We’re calling on all advocates, survivors and allies to contact your legislators now to the support the elimination of the SOL in Massachusetts!

MassKids E.D., Jetta Bernier and Child USAdvocacy E.D. and MassKids Board Member, Kathryn Robb, testified at the Joint Committee on the Judiciary
The SOL on child sexual abuse cases, although extended in the last decade in Massachusetts, still limits access to justice for survivors, accountability for abusers and fails to prevent the future abuse of more Massachusetts children. The trauma, secrecy and shame associated with sexual abuse prevents most victims from reporting the crime until years after the fact, making it difficult to pursue criminal charges or civil damages.
A national movement is gathering momentum to reform or eliminate the SOL. In 2023 alone, 38 states have introduced SOL reform bills, including:
• 20 to eliminate criminal SOL and 17 to extend it
• 26 to eliminate civil SOL and 16 to extend it
• 21 to establish revival/windows, which allow cases beyond the SOL to be prosecuted for a limited amount of time or civil damages to be sued for (Child USA 2023 SOL Tracker)
According to Child USAdvocacy, Massachusetts receives an “F” on its current SOL laws as they limit the ability of survivors to seek civil damages against their abusers only until the victim’s 53rd birthday, and only damages against individual abusers, not institutions. Survivors also can only press criminal charges against their abusers until their 43rd birthday.
Please contact your legislators and ask them to support:
• S1038, “An Act eliminating the statute of limitations in civil child sexual abuse cases,“ filed by Senator Joan Lovely and H1614, filed by Representative John Lawn.
• H1536, “An Act amending the statute of limitations relating to civil rights actions and criminal prosecutions for the sexual assault and rape of a child,” filed by Representative Ken Gordon.
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Please act NOW to help secure justice for survivors, accountability for abusers and to prevent the future abuse of more Massachusetts children!
Learn more at our Citizens to Prevent CSA page at enoughabuse.org and Child USA’s 2023 SOL Tracker.

Robert M. Hoatson, President and Co-founder of Road to Recovery, testified at this Massachusetts legislative hearing.