Connecticut Survivors Demand Justice, End Statute of Limitations

0:00Survivors of child sexual abuse and Connecticut rallied at the state capital this week, demanding lawmakers scrapped the civil statute of limitations, so they can finally seek justice decades later. Folks like Janet or Saddie Duffinne shared how abuse hit her at age 3 by a priest that her mom's workplace, but the memories didn't surface until she was 43. Too many faceplot doors because the clock ran out, even after years of therapy and pain. Earlier this week, these advocates also push for stronger shields against online exploitation and AI-generated abuse images of kids. While no bill to kill the civil time limit is on the table this session, a similar one flopped back in 2020, the Judiciary Committee just, Greenwood Senate Bill 292. That expands child sexual abuse material to cover computer-generated explicit stuff. All makers are listening, with New Haven Democrat Senator Gary Winfield backing the changes as co-chair of the Judiciary Committee.

1:01Milford Democrat Representative MJ Shannon stressed that trauma doesn't vanish and survivors deserve a real shot at healing. Groups like the Connecticut Alliance to end sexual violence note 1 in 6 men and boys, plus 1 in 3 girls and women face sexual violence in their lives. The impact hits hard fear, shame, and threats keep folks silent for years, not fitting any legal calendar. Experts say healing's a long grind, not a quick fix, and 14 other states already ditched their civil limits for these crimes. Back in 2018, Connecticut axed criminal time bars for minor assaults, but left civil cases hanging. This fight spotlights how systems can retraumatize instead of help, urging real reforms to match survivors' realities and close those justice gaps. For Good. That's your update from Hartford News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with The Story.