In California, the statute of limitations for civil claims related to childhood sexual abuse is complex and has changed over time. In 2019, California passed a new law (AB 218) that extended the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse civil claims. The law allows victims to file lawsuits until they are 40 years old, or within five years of discovering that the abuse caused them psychological injury, even if they are older than 40. The law previously had a cutoff at age 26.
First Window in 2003
However, in 2002, the Boston Globe published its investigation into sexual abuse by Catholic priests, which sparked national attention and an increased awareness of the issue of childhood sexual abuse. In response, California passed a law in 2002 that opened a one-year window in 2003 for victims of childhood sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits against their abusers, regardless of when the abuse occurred. This allowed many victims to come forward and seek justice, often against organizations or individuals that had previously been protected by the statute of limitations.