PATCH Nov. 16, 2019 -- A news story out of New York has reported that the Catholic Diocese of Rockville Center has filed a motion to dismiss 44 civil lawsuits of victims who allege they were abused by church clergy and staff. The Diocese is alleging that parts of the New York Child Victims Act, violates the state constitution and the diocese's rights.
Attorney Irwin Zalkin is quoted in this news article saying: “They have more concern about their wealth than they do the welfare of children and doing the right thing by victims,” said Zalkin. “They speak a big game. They have a big PR campaign about how they care about victims and how they want to make sure the victims are treated fairly. But when it comes to the money, they only care about their wealth.”
Irwin Zalkin has represented hundreds of survivors of child sexual abuse and he said that he has seen this tactic by the diocese before and it has failed in other courts around the country.
The Child Victims Act (CVA) expands the statute of limitations for victims of child sexual abuse to file claims against their abusers. Previously, victims had up to five years from when they turned 18 to file a claim. But it is often very difficult for sex abuse victims to come forward. The CVA extended the time frame, allowing victims to file suit until they are 55.