Sex Assault Cases Filed Against Celebrities In New York As Law Expires
A number of sexual assault lawsuits were filed in New York against top celebrities, as the law that allows adult sexual assault survivors to file civil lawsuits against their abusers expired. The Adult Survivors Act (ASA), that temporarily sets aside the statute of limitations for victims who were over the age of 18 at the time of assault, was signed by the Governor Kathy Hochul in 2022. The law was in effect until November 24, Friday, and expired now.
Considering the lapse of the law, a number of high-profile sexual abuse cases were filed in New York in the past week. The petitioners were aiming to beat the expiration of the temporary state law, that created a one-year window for survivors to bring claims against their abusers.
The list of defendants reportedly includes New York Mayor Eric Adams, American rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, and American singer and songwriter Axl Rose. All of these well-known people could face jury trials if the claims against them remains undismissed or unsettled.
The Adult Survivors Act was passed in the wake of the “Me Too” movement and took effect in November 24, 2022. It gave voice to victims of historic sexual assaults and led to high-profile cases against prominent figures. As NDTV quotes Susan Crumiller, whose firm has handled several ASA cases, “the Act has enabled thousands of survivors to pursue justice that was previously unavailable to them”. According to her, the last-minute flood in the cases shows “how desperately we need a reopened window. Many people are just learning about the Act”.
The lawsuit against Eric Adams was filed on November 22, on allegation that the petitioner was assaulted by him in 1993, when both of them were working for the City of New York. A suit filed against Combs said that he drugged and raped a Syracuse University student during a date in 1991. The complainant claims that she suffered “substantial and lifetime injuries” from the assault.
The first person sued under the law was the former American President Donald Trump. He was held liable by a Manhattan jury in May for sexually abusing New York author E Jean Carroll in the 1990s and ordered to pay 5 million dollar in damages, showing how the statute can be successfully used in court even when the claims are decades old.
