Can a victim of childhood sexual molestation sue their abuser?
A person who is injured in a car accident can sue the person (driver) responsible for the accident for lost wages, hospital bills, pain & suffering, ETC and this driver didn’t purposely break the road rules to cause such suffering. A victim of childhood molestation suffers their entire life due to one person selfishly and purposely putting their own sexual pleasure before the welfare of someone else. This act leaves the victim with a lifetime of psychological issues and typically tens of thousands of medical bills for medications and psychotherapy not to mention possible relationship trouble and eating disorders. So, can a victim of childhood sexual abuse sue their molesters, especially if the abuser admitted to the crime?
Yes, often they can, and it happens frequently. They can even do it when the person was never convicted of a crime related to the abuse. Sometimes they can also sue a third party that had a duty to protect them and failed. However, there are still a few states that won’t let people sue under tort for psychological damage and related costs unless there is also physical injury…those sorts of laws are going away, though.
December 24th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Absolutely.
There are people suing the Catholic Church left and right for the actions of priests who abused them.
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9+ years Law Enforcement
December 24th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Yes, and the fact that the abuser admitted to it should make it that much easier. The only problem is, it’s hard to prove in court and only gets harder as time progresses, this is what usually stops people from pressing charges. Honestly, it’s worth the hassle in my opinion, the abuser should be stopped before he/she can do any more damage.
Hope this helps!
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December 24th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Yes, often they can, and it happens frequently. They can even do it when the person was never convicted of a crime related to the abuse. Sometimes they can also sue a third party that had a duty to protect them and failed. However, there are still a few states that won’t let people sue under tort for psychological damage and related costs unless there is also physical injury…those sorts of laws are going away, though.
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here’s an interesting article about tort cases re: sexual assault
http://new.vawnet.org/category/Main_Doc.php?docid=2150
December 24th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Yes, a victim of molestation can file a civil suit against their abuser..I have been in contact with one woman who have done that, she now guest speaks at abuse trainings..and have been on TV, sharing her story..empowering others to come forward..
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