IN THE NEWS-2024
To see a yearly archive of CHILD USA in the news, click a year from below
The Right’s Attack on Children
“Parental rights” are all the rage now in some quarters. But when parents gain rights, who loses them? Children.
Democracy Journal | April 29, 2024
Remember the Dark Ages in America for children? Child labor? No public schools? No vaccinations? Now, right-wing politicians, Christian nationalists, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are waging a multifront legislative campaign to bring back those Dark Ages. And they are succeeding.
A Philly lawyer for sexual abuse victims left his firm after an ex-client’s complaint was leaked
The Phila Inquirer | April 27, 2024
Brian Kent left his firm after a confidential complaint lodged by a former client was publicized by a YouTuber called “The Rabbit.” The Inquirer has verified the authenticity of the document.
“We cannot stand by knowing that there appears to be a pattern of manipulative and abusive behavior by Kent toward vulnerable clients nationwide seeking to find validation and justice in the legal system,” said Marci Hamilton, Founder and CEO of CHILD USA. “What he has done is an abomination and must stop now.”
Congresswoman Ross introduces new bill to support survivors of child
CBS 17 | APRIL 18, 2024
The Closing Bankruptcy Loopholes for Child Predators Act is a bipartisan bill that addresses the misuse of the bankruptcy system by organizations facing lawsuits for child sex abuse.
Ross worked on the bill with Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney of New York. She introduced the bill along with Marci Hamilton, CEO of CHILD USA.
Iowa looks to change statute of limitations law to help Boy Scout sexual abuse survivors
Des Moines Register | April 3, 2024
The passage of this bill through Iowa’s state congress would mean sexual abuse victims could receive the full settlement from the Boy Scouts organization that was initially asked for, providing another step toward justice for these survivors.
Colorado voters should have the chance to give child sexual abuse victims a greater voice
The Colorado Sun | March 23, 2024
In November, Colorado voters will have a voice in saving children from sexual predators and those who harbor them. Coloradans will be able to do more than watch stories about the frightening epidemic of child sexual abuse; they can be part of the solution by using their voice at the ballot box to benefit children.
Report: Latin America’s progress on helping sex abuse victims
AXIOS | MARCH 21, 2024
Latin America is on trend to abolish statutes of limitations on sex abuse crimes against minors, according to a recent report. The report, published last week, is the first from the Global Statute of Limitations (SOL) Reform Task Force, established in 2022 by CHILD USA and the worldwide campaign Brave Movement.
Geoff Drew case brings new reforms, same old roadblocks in Ohio legislature
WCPO Cincinnati | March 21, 2024
Two years after ex-Cincinnati Priest Geoff Drew pleaded guilty to raping a student, an anti-grooming bill is nearing a vote in the Ohio House. But some say it won’t be enough.
‘It Erases Us’: Sex Abuse Survivors Troubled By Washington State Bill
LAW360 | March 8, 2024
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is expected to sign into law a bill that eliminates time limits for bringing child sex abuse claims in the future, but survivors say they are disappointed by an amendment stripping the bill’s retroactivity, saying the legislation doesn’t go far enough to hold abusers accountable.
Why Payouts Are All Over the Map for Boy Scout Sexual Abuse Victims
WALL STREET JOURNAL | MARCH 1, 2024
As a Boy Scout victim from Alabama, Gill Gayle is likely to get around $15,000 from a settlement fund compensating child sexual abuse victims, according to estimates.
But if he had been abused in New York, he would be eligible for more than 10 times that amount.
Bill on statute of limitations reform passes out of Missouri House committee unanimously for the second time
BAPTIST NEWS | FEBRUARY 27, 2024
The bill is an effort to make Missouri legislation on child sexual abuse response and litigation more reflective of the timeline survivors need to process, come to terms with and come forward about what happened.
During his presentation on HB 1617 earlier this month, Seitz cited a study published in March 2020 by CHILD USA highlighting the delayed disclosure of abuse among adult survivors.
CT must extend the statute of limitations for child sex abuse cases
HARTFORD COURANT | FEBRUARY 27, 2024
Connecticut’s statute of limitations for suing predators or institutions that enabled childhood sexual abuse is arbitrary and draconian
Alabama Senate approves bill allowing Boy Scout abuse victims to pursue damages
YAHOO NEWS | FEBRUARY 27, 2024
The Alabama Senate Tuesday approved a bill that would allow survivors of sexual abuse in the Boy Scouts of America to take full advantage of the bankruptcy proceedings against the organization.
Navigating Systemic Change:
Your Call hosted by Rose Aguilar with guests Marci Hamilton, and Kalimah Johnson
KALW | JANUARY 24, 2024
In a thought-provoking episode of Your Call, hosted by Rose Aguilar, the spotlight was on the deeply rooted issue of sexual assault, with a focus on why influential figures like Jeffrey Epstein and R. Kelly managed to evade justice for so long. Expert guest Marci Hamilton, Founder and CEO of CHILD USA, underscored the pervasive nature of childhood sexual abuse, revealing a startling statistic: at least one in five girls falls victim before turning 18, cutting across societal realms.
WASHINGTON ARCHDIOCESE SUES TO EVADE RESPONSIBILITY?
CHURCHMILITANT | JANUARY 11, 2024
BALTIMORE (ChurchMilitant.com) – The Roman Catholic archdiocese of Washington is mounting a constitutional challenge against Maryland’s Child Victims Act (CVA).The CVA, which became law in April last year and went into effect in October, eliminated time limits to file civil lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse. Previously, Maryland law prevented victims from suing once they turned 38.
Child-Porn Claim From Nirvana ‘Nevermind’ Image Revived by Court
BLOOMBERGLAW | DECEMBER 21, 2023
Nirvana shouldn’t have so easily escaped a child pornography lawsuit as time-barred because republication of the “Nevermind” album cover represented a new offense within the law’s statute of limitations, the Ninth Circuit said.