Statute For Filing a Lawsuit For Childhood Sex Abuse in Illinois Increases to 20 Years

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The deadline for reporting childhood sex abuse has changed because many victims of sexual abuse have repressed memories, and even if they remember the abuse, they may not discover its harmful impact until much later.

  • Currently, victims of sexual abuse have the ten years, and in some cases only five years, to file a claim
  • Under the new law, a victim has 20 years from the day they turn 18, or 20 years from the time when they discover that they were abused and it caused them injury, to file a lawsuit