In May 2022, the state of New York led by Governor Hochul paved the way for survivors of sexual assault and harassment to pursue legal recourse against their abusers by signing The Adult Survivors Act (ASA), providing a one-year lookback window that allows survivors to file claims previously time-barred by statute of limitations.
Since the ASA became law and the lookback window opened on November 24, 2022, thousands of survivors have stepped forward and filed suits to hold abusers accountable for their actions.
FeganScott has been at the vanguard of efforts to support survivors of sexual assault, and make perpetrators answer for their abuse in court. The firm serves as a trusted advocate for survivors, helping them navigate the legal process under the ASA.
As the November 23 deadline for the one-year lookback window approaches, Beth Fegan, managing partner of FeganScott, shared the below statement on the impact of the ASA and what it represents to survivors of sexual assault and abuse:
“I have dedicated a large portion of my legal career to representing survivors of sexual abuse, and one recurring theme in just about every case is disparity of power. Time and again I see women or men who were groomed, manipulated, and ultimately abused by perpetrators with power and used it to their mendacious ends.
“When many of these acts of abuse took place, the legal environment made it very difficult – even impossible – for survivors to seek justice. It was an era of victim-shaming, and a time in which society was much more willing to overlook what we recognize today as aberrant, illegal behavior.
“We need more states to follow New York’s lead and enact legislation like the ASA, which marks a small step in addressing a long, sordid history of sex abuse in America.”
To read more about the ASA, check out our blog post: Q&A with FeganScott on NY Statute of Limitations Changes here.