In the United States, sexual abuse is a crime that is punishable by law and that, depending on the characteristics of each experience, they can lead the accused to serve sentences of up to 10 years in prison or, in the least of cases, receive sanctions from the judicial bodies of the state in which the complaint is made. .
It must be taken into account that in the United States, being a completely decentralized country, each state has different laws that are applied according to the instructions of the authorities of each region, so the laws are completely different in one state and another.
In New York State, for example, sexual abuse is classified as first degree, second degree, and third degree. Each of these levels has different sanctions and can make the victim of abuse receives appropriate careonce you report the fact to the competent authorities.
Another example is the state of California, in which the Sexual Abuse Law establishes this act as a crime that can lead to sentences of between 3, 6 or 8 years in prison, and up to 13 years in cases of abuse. child sex.
It is important to remember that a case of sexual abuse can occur at any age and in any setting, even at work. For this reason, the main laws against sexual abuse protect victims even sexual harassment at work, which is one of the most common in the country.
What should I do to report a case of sexual abuse in the United States?
If you are a victim of a case of sexual abuse in any region of the United States, first of all you must identify very well the place where the incident occurred, and then proceed legally before the competent authorities.
Just as each state has different laws that regulate cases of sexual harassment and abuse, they also have different means by which you can report these types of situations and receive immediate legal help.
However, there are also certain means by which you can report this type of attacks at the national level. If, for example, it is a case of child sexual abuse, you can report it from anywhere in the country, through the following means:
- Stop it Now Line: 1-888-PREVENT (888-773-2362).
- Childhelp: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (800-422-4453).
Through any of these telephone lines you can receive attention to any report you have to make about child sexual abuse in the United States, and even get the answers you need, if you have questions about the sexual abuse prevention laws in the country.
How long do I have to report a case of sexual abuse?
In the United States there are time limits for filing a complaint about a case in which you have suffered a personal injury or assault. This time will depend on the specific laws of each state.
If, for example, we talk about the state of New York, in this place the Maximum time to file a complaint for sexual abuse is 3 years from the moment the attack occurred.
In the case of an episode of child sexual abuse, these 3 years are counted from the victim’s age of majority. That is, if a person suffered an episode of sexual abuse in New York when he or she was 10 years old, he or she may file a complaint until age 21, 3 years after reaching the age of majority.
However, in August 2019, after a wave of lawsuits from people who decided to raise their voices and report cases of sexual abuse they suffered in their childhood, the Child Victims Act, which eliminates the deadline for reporting child sexual abuse in New York for one year, which was later extended one more year, until 2021.
The complaint is the first step to achieve justice
Don’t let your case of sexual abuse go unpunished. As a victim, the law protects you and gives you the tools you need to get justice. Don’t stay silent and report. Remember that silence only benefits the abuser.
If you have a story of abuse you want to share, in the movement # We are here to listen to you and give you all the help you need to overcome this episode and get ahead. Be part of the change and so that together we continue the fight against child sexual abuse.