child victims act

A Niagara County woman, who alleges being sexually assaulted by a Catholic priest when she was a teenager is suing the Diocese of Buffalo. It is believed to be the first suit of its kind, locally, since the state's Child Victims Act was signed into law earlier this month.

More victims of sexual abuse will get a chance to tell their story, perhaps to a jury, after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Child Victims Act into law Thursday.

As the Child Victims Act was being approved Monday, four victims were in an Amherst law firm conference room with their attorneys, talking about their cases and what the new law does for them.

Steven Timmel, the Buffalo Catholic Diocese’s chief financial officer, is resigning. The move becomes effective at the end of this upcoming January. It’s another one of Bishop Richard Malone’s staff members to step down over the past year as the diocese continues to handle the clergy abuse scandal.

It's perhaps the oldest cliche in New York State politics and government: three men in a room. That changes Monday.

With a pending change in political leadership in the New York State Senate, hopes are renewed for passage of a proposal which would ease statutes of limitation for adults seeking criminal or civil justice in childhood sexual abuse cases. On Thursday, a Republican State Senator introduced his own version of such legislation, while advocates for victims of alleged abuse by clergy suggest the church may seek to limit liability if such a bill is passed next year.

With control of the New York State Senate on the ballot Election Day, state legislation about child abuse by clergy has moved onto the political scene.

As supporters of New York State's proposed Child Victims Act urge lawmakers to get it passed next session, a Republican State Senator says an alternative bill she's sponsoring would do more for child sexual abuse victims by fully eliminating statues of limitation and add clergy to the list of "mandated reporters."

In light of recent news involving alleged sexual abuse and how Catholic Church leaders have managed it over many years, calls are being renewed to pass the Child Victims Act in New York State. A State Senator who strongly supports the bill says the votes are there but the current leadership in that house won't bring it up for a vote.

The New York State Senate has passed a bill that would protect students from sexual abuse.  WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley says this bill calls to close a loophole preventing private schools from reporting abuse and will require training. 

State lawmakers started passing budget bills late Thursday night into Friday morning, even though some major issues related to the spending plan are still not resolved. They need to finish by mid-day Friday so legislators and staff can get home for the Passover and Easter holidays.

On the same day the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo released a list of 42 clergy accused of sexually abusing minors, a childhood sex abuse victim - himself allegedly abused by a now-deceased priest - shared his experience of coming to terms and reaching out for help.

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse delivered an emotional appeal to state senators today, after they learned that the Senate did not put the Child Victims Act into their budget plan. The measure would offer more opportunities for survivors to gain justice in the court system.

Victims of childhood sexual abuse are hoping that the #MeToo movement will help them enact the Child Victims Act in New York. The measure extends the statute of criminal and civil limitations for victims beyond the current age of 23 to age 50 and adds a one-year look back window to file civil suits.

Days after a local Catholic priest admitted to the Buffalo News he had sexual encounters with dozens of teenage boys, the Diocese of Buffalo has announced a compensation program for victims of sexual abuse.

Advocates who want the Child Victims Act passed in New York are stepping up pressure on Republicans in the state Senate. Some GOP senators are the final holdouts on the bill that would extend the statute of limitations and open up a one-year window for victims to file civil lawsuits.

The push is being renewed to pass legislation in Albany that would allow childhood sexual abuse victims to file lawsuits for incidents that happened decades ago. A  Western New York man who says he was molested by a local priest while he was 14 years old went public with his story for the first time Tuesday.

A proposed law that would give childhood sex abuse victims more time to seek justice has, according to State Senator Tim Kennedy, stalled in Albany for the past 11 years. Speaking in Buffalo Friday morning, Kennedy, child advocates and a childhood sex abuse victim gathered to say it's time the legislature and the governor takes action and passes the Child Victims Act.