Lawyers representing victims and survivors of child abuse have expressed their support for the Government’s recent decision to abolish the three-year time limit for pursuing civil claims against abusers.
Kim Harrison (pictured), president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), a not-for-profit campaign organisation, called the move “right and just,” adding that it would provide much-needed support to some of the most vulnerable individuals in society.
“Scrapping the wholly inappropriate three-year time limit is the right and just thing to do,” Harrison said. “It takes a survivor of sexual abuse 24 to 27 years on average to be able to tell a soul about the abuse they suffered, let alone pursue justice, for reasons including overwhelming fear, trauma, and mistrust in authorities.”
Previously, survivors had to file claims within three years of turning 18, which often acted as a barrier to justice. Harrison said, ” For victims and survivors to find the strength to bring their cases and then to be told that they were not quick enough to act is devastating.”
The move has been relatively quick, with the APIL calling for the changes in July 2024.
Under the new rules, the burden will now be on defendants to prove that the delay in bringing the claim has made a fair trial impossible, rather than on the survivor.