Bill would extend deadline to sue sex abusers

Associated Press LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Child sex abuse victims in Nebraska could sue their assailants for damages until their 33rd birthday under a bill that advocates pitched last week to a legislative panel. The proposal would triple the amount of time available to adult victims who have not yet filed a lawsuit in state court. Under current Nebraska law, once child sex abuse victims turn 21, they have until their 25th birthday to sue. The legislation would let victims sue until they turn 33. The sponsor, Omaha Sen. Pete Pirsch, told the Legislature's Judiciary Committee that the bill was tailored to victims who fail to come to terms with the abuse until they are older. Pirsch said victims often keep the abuse hidden until adulthood out of fear, shame, or the belief that the emotional scars will heal. In many cases, he said, the psychological damage can lead to eating disorders, overly sexual behavior, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide. "Even after becoming young adults, victims often think they just want to put the incident behind them," said Pirsch, a former Omaha criminal prosecutor. "Ultimately, this leads to psychological fallout that can be fatal over time. Many find out that, after a great number of years, this does not heal without a great deal psychological assistance." Pirsch said the legislation does not affect criminal sex abuse cases, which have no filing limit in Nebraska. The issue has surfaced in other states. Legislatures in California and Delaware have eliminated time limits for such claims and passed laws that would open a two-year window for victims to sue. Last year, the Ohio Supreme Court extended the state's new 12-year deadline to victims who were abused before the 2006 law went into effect. The psychological injuries "don't show up right away, like a car crash," said Gordon Peterson, an Omaha lawyer who said he seen thousands of cases. "Many times, it's years -- even decades -- before the children deal with these events." Joan Hilman of Omaha said she missed the opportunity to sue three men whom she said sexually assaulted her between the ages of 4 and 12. Hilman said she was not emotionally ready to take action until she was older and the statute of limitations had expired. "It had taken me years to come to that place," she said. "I could not do anything." Before victims turn 21, they are allowed to sue at any time. The bill is LB 612. Published: Mon, Mar 21, 2011