child victims act

The University at Buffalo Law School on Monday hosted a look at the Child Victims Act, the new state law that has reopened New York's history of sexual abuse for a one-year window. The law allows victims to go to court against abusers, even if the abuse occurred decades ago.

Bishop Richard Malone, leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, stated once again Wednesday he is obligated to lead the diocese through its tough times and, thus, he will not resign. Meanwhile, hours after WKBW-TV broadcast a story featuring audio secretly recorded by Malone's former secretary, the bishop suggested Fr. Ryszard Biernat broke church law by doing so.

It was an emotional day Wednesday, as hundreds of childhood sexual abuse survivors filed lawsuits in New York courts on the first day of a one-year window of opportunity for victims to seek civil action against their abusers.

More priests affiliated with the Buffalo Catholic Diocese are being publicly accused of sexually abusing children. Five members of the clergy – three living and two deceased – are among those newly named in lawsuits filed Wednesday, as New York’s Child Victims Act one-year lookback window went into effect.

At 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, the one-year window of opportunity opened for many child sex abuse plaintiffs who were unable to pursue litigation under the statute of limitation.

More than 230 cases are already expected to be filed in Erie County during the statewide one-year window that starts Wednesday and allows survivors of child sex abuse to file charges against their abuser—regardless of when the abuse took place.

The Boy Scouts of America are hitting back at lawyers who say the BSA will be sued in New York State late this summer over sexual abuse by scouting leaders. National scout leaders say they have actively barred possible abusers from the organization's activities.

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.