Legal Question in Criminal Law in California
Hi! I was sexually violated as a child by a well known business man and his assistant. I was not the only one who suffer from their malevolent behavior. He died about 20 years ago. Could I still sue him/assistant or company?
2 Answers from Attorneys
You posted this in the Criminal Law category, but it appears that you are talking about a civil lawsuit. The statute of limitations is set forth in Code of Civil Procedure section 340.1. "In an action for recovery of damages suffered as a result of childhood sexual abuse, the time for commencement of the action shall be within eight years of the date the plaintiff attains the age of majority or within three years of the date the plaintiff discovers or reasonably should have discovered that psychological injury or illness occurring after the age of majority was caused by
the sexual abuse, whichever period expires later ..."
You can read the text of the entire statute here: http://law.onecle.com/california/civil-procedure/340.1.html
No. You had no more than eight years [and probably only 3] after you turned 18 to bring any legal claims, plus, if he was/is dead, there is no one to sue.