January 14, 2025
Contact: press@justice4survivors.com, (845) 521-4945
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK, NY – In today’s State of the State address, New York Governor Kathy Hochul failed to stand up for child sex abuse survivors against big insurance. While the Governor’s Office released proposals to hold health insurers accountable for refusing to pay claims for mental health care – her administration has refused to do the same for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and has failed to enforce the Child Victims Act (CVA), allowing insurance companies to flat out refuse to pay CVA claims.
“While we welcome Governor Hochul engaging on health insurance company accountability,, her administration has failed to do the same for survivors of childhood sexual abuse whose claims continue to be summarily ignored by big insurance,” said Stephen Jimenez, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and longtime advocate, author, and journalist. “The hypocrisy is stunning, forcing survivors to fend for themselves while Hochul’s Department of Financial Services refuses to enforce the Child Victims Act against insurance companies. Why is the Governor standing up for some people victimized by insurance company greed, but not all?”
The Governor’s Office also released a proposal to eliminate the statute of limitations for sex trafficking cases. While the Child Victims Act (CVA), which passed nearly six years ago, applied to the civil statute of limitations, this proposed legislation would remove the criminal statute of limitations for sex trafficking and sex trafficking of a child. Since passage of the CVA, New York State has done nothing to enforce the legislation against insurers refusing to pay claims, and thousands of survivors remain waiting for their day in court.
“New York’s continued dismissal of survivors’ right to justice sends a message that their pain and trauma doesn’t matter if it threatens the insurance industry’s bottom line,” said David Catalfamo, Executive Director of the CJCC. “It’s great to see the Governor focus on important reforms for sex trafficking survivors – but that doesn’t mean she can leave thousands of child sexual abuse survivors with CVA cases behind. Governor Hochul needs to stop letting her state agencies serve corporate interests over the people who elected her – or survivors will continue to die waiting for justice.”
###
The Coalition for Just and Compassionate Compensation (“CJCC”) is an independent alliance of survivors of child sex abuse, their representatives, and advocates seeking full restitution for survivors of child sex abuse. Among members of the coalition are author and journalist Stephen Jimenez, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and longtime advocate who helped pass the Child Victims Act (CVA), and attorneys James Marsh, Founding Partner at Marsh Law Firm and Hillary Nappi, Partner at Hach Rose Schirripa & Cheverie, who represent thousands of sexual abuse survivors in litigation against public and private entities.