New Jersey Sex Abuse Attorney - Child Abuse Lawyer

New Jersey Sexual Abuse

Be in the Forefront – Get Involved – Take Action Now

Our mission is to honor and empower victims of child sex abuse to seek justice long denied.

Childhood Sexual Abuse Affects your Whole Life

New Jersey State Senator Joseph Vitale has been pushing for 20 years to amend the state’s statute of limitations and allow victims of child sexual abuse more time to file claims against their abusers and the institutions that have enabled them. The landmark bill, Measure S-477, gives victims the power to take legal action regardless of how long ago the abuse may have taken place. New Jersey survivors will soon be empowered to hold their abusers accountable and finally begin the healing process.

The Rights of Survivors

For a victim of sexual abuse, it may take years to come to terms with their abuse and to file a claim. This is why it is important for the statute of limitations to be amended and for New Jersey to follow the lead of about three quarters of states that have already implemented similar amendments.

The Child Victims Act

Governor Murphy Signs Law Giving New Rights to Abuse Survivors!! On May 13, 2019, Governor Murphy signed New Jersey’s historic new law for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Most importantly, the new law gives all abuse survivors two years to file a claim for the abuse they suffered, regardless of their current age, and extends the statute of limitations to age 55.

The Catholic Church Coverup

Although the proposed legislation has stalled in the past, it is now gaining momentum after a Pennsylvania grand jury report that exposed the Catholic church for covering up the sexual abuse of more than 1,000 children by 300 priests, several of which had served in New Jersey. Since the groundbreaking report was made public, support has poured out toward Senator Vitale’s bill. This is significant because it will not only bring to light many instances of abuse that were previously swept under the run, but it will also bring justice to many potential or closed cases.

New Jersey has undergone a thorough and lengthy investigation into suspected clergy abuse cases throughout the state following a case where the Archdiocese of Newark was subpoenaed. Advocates are making progress in holding the Catholic church accountable for offences that were previous swept under the rug. Though sexual abuse can occur within any faith, the Catholic church specifically has been under fire because its abuse is so far-reaching and the church’s response has been weak when it came to releasing information or giving compensation to its victims.

New Jersey Clergy Exposed

New Jersey’s five dioceses released the names of priests and deacons “credibly accused” of abuse over the decades. There are 188 names on the lists from the five dioceses. Of those, more than 100 are dead.

Full List of Named Priests

Compensation For Survivors

The five NJ dioceses have set up a new compensation fund to offer alleged victims’ settlements in exchange for agreeing not to file lawsuits against the church. However, taking compensation or services from established funds may prevent survivors from being able to participate in future compensation recovery efforts, even when the laws change in favor of victims’ rights.

Survivors of child sexual abuse should seek legal advice from an experienced attorney before accepting compensation or signing any agreements. Survivors have a right to compensation for medical and psychological costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, among others. Call us now.

Boy Scouts Revelation

The Catholic church is not the only institution that has been receiving attention over their widespread sexual abuse claims. Court documents regarding the Boy Scouts of America reveal that the organization may have had as many as 7,819 allegedly abusive troop leaders and volunteers and 12,254 alleged victims. Like the Catholic Church, they have also been secretive about releasing information to the the public about these alleged abuses but representatives have insisted that all of the cases have been reported to law enforcement.

Get Help Today

Filing a court case does not undo the damages done by sexual abuse, but it can help to relieve the burden of moving forward. At the Mocco Law Group, we care not only about fairly representing our clients but also about respecting and understanding our clients’ emotional needs. We handle client cases with respect and we are mindful of the traumatic nature of these cases. Through gathering evidence and witness testimony, we promise to do our best in bringing a fair outcome to the clients we represent. We handle a wide variety of cases, not only involving religious organizations but also cases relating to private schools, sports leagues, summer camps, medical facilities, and more. Contact us today for a consultation with one of our trusted attorneys.

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