A decade ago, the Massachusetts Legislature extended the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse. The amended law allows an individual at least 35 years after their 18th birthday to file civil actions against their abusers, and at least 7 years from their 18th birthday to file civil actions against those whose negligence contributed to the abuse. With this decision, the Legislature was recognizing that many individuals have trouble complying with short statutes of limitation due to the trauma associated with abuse, often causing them to delay disclosure until they are older. While this change has allowed many to seek restitution and justice they deserve, the change was made only in cases of child sexual abuse. 

This bill would extend the 2014 law to provide the longer statute of limitations to cover non-sexual child abuse, giving victims more time to hold their abusers accountable. Currently, the law omits many cases of non-sexual child abuse that can have similar traumatic impact on children – both in terms of long-term damage and delays in when the survivors feel ready and able to make their abuse public. Aligning these standards will allow thousands of survivors to better pursue the justice they deserve.