Since 2020, at least 230 people have filed suit against the Youth Development Center in Manchester, New Hampshire, a secure state mental health facility, for allowing staff to systematically abuse patients physically and sexually between 1963 and 2018. So far, 150...
Tolmage, Peskin, Harris, Falick’s Blog
How the “false memory defense” continues to silence abuse survivors
Survivors of childhood abuse face countless challenges when they take the courageous step of speaking out. Many tried to speak up as children. Their concerns went unheeded, swept under the rug or, worse, used against them to trigger backlash and retaliation. As...
Sex abuse in New York schools: A decades-long phenomenon
The landmark passage of New York's Child Victims Act opened the doors to justice for survivors of childhood sex abuse. Many of those survivors suffered at the hands of familiar culprits – Catholic priests. But many victims suffered abuse in other trusted institutions...
Lawsuits shed light on sexual abuse in New York foster care system
In the year-and-a-half since New York passed the Child Victims Act, horrific claims of childhood sexual abuse have continued to pour in. Many involve institutions that are notorious for sweeping such abuse under the rug – the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of...
Staggering number of sexual abuse claims surface against Boy Scouts
Sexual abuse of children is a horrifically widespread problem in many of the institutions that are (or were) pillars of society. The Catholic Church is a prominent example. However, another core American institution – the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) – has also been...
What does Catholic diocese’s bankruptcy mean for Child Victims Act plaintiffs?
As more allegations surface of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic priests across New York, more dioceses are turning to bankruptcy. The Diocese of Rockville Center in Long Island was the latest to file for reorganization under Chapter 11. Facing more than...
Sexual assault suit filed against Kevin Spacey under Child Victims Act
Nearly three years ago, actor Kevin Spacey's career fell apart following bombshell allegations of sexual assault on minors. Now, some of those allegations are back in the public eye following a lawsuit filed in Manhattan court. The case involves disturbing accounts of...
State’s Child Victims Act extended through next year
New York’s Child Victims Act received an extension through next year as Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Aug. 3 signed legislation that extends the statute of limitations in decades-old sexual abuse cases. It allows victims to get their days in court, confront their predators,...
Ex-Catholic school coach accused of sexual abuse in 1960s
An increasing number of lawsuits continue to surface as a result of New York’s Child Victim Rights, which extended the statute of limitations in sexual abuse cases, allowing victims of decades-old cases to confront this issue and their abusers while seeking monetary...
Former figure skater seeks $10 million for alleged sexual abuse
In the latest high-profile case that spotlights New York’s Child Victims Act that allows decades-old sexual assault cases to get their day in court, a former figure skater has filed a civil lawsuit against a highly regarded coach for misconduct in the 1970s. In...
