Child Sexual Abuse in Minnesota
Child sexual abuse is a heinous crime that the country is facing today. This crime has been shrouded for a very long time so much so that there is a stigma associated with it. Children who have been or are being abused are afraid to say anything out loud because they don’t want to be blamed for something that they had no control over and many times the bad person is someone who people look up to. Often the culprit gets away with child sexual abuse and is free to hurt another child because strict legal action was not initiated against them the first time around. All they had to do was make one phone call. So many children all over the country and in the state of Minnesota suffer from physical as well as psychological trauma after child sexual abuse.
A Better Future
Recently though, a steady tide of cases are being presented in the courts of Minnesota and are coming to a culmination where some of these respected adults are not respected so much anymore. With the perpetrator punished appropriately, the child can move on and hope for a better future. Only proper legal help and strict court action coupled with counseling can achieve this.
A Misguided Teacher’s Aide
Like in any other state, Minnesota is certainly included, many cases are registered in opposition to people who are in positions of dependence and trust like teachers, clergymen, athletic coaches, and school counselors. In Crookston, a former teacher’s aide, Kellie Ann Cormican, pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse. She pleaded guilty to 5 counts of third degree criminal sexual misconduct for having had sex with a 14 year old boy. She stated that even though she helped him in his class, she thought the boy was 16 years old. It would not really matter if he was.
Statute of Limitations in Minnesota
Every state has a detailed statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases and a criminal or civil complaint needs to be registered within the designated amount of time to be able to have any of these charges stick. As per the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases in Minnesota, a case can be brought forward till 6 years after the victim turns 18 years of age. At 18 years, the victim is recognized as an adult. So age 24 is the magic number. The discovery rule is specific and states that the lawsuit “(a) must be commenced within six years the victim knew or had reason to know that the injury was caused by the sexual abuse, (b) the victim need not establish which act in a continuous series of sexual abuse acts caused the injury, and (c) the knowledge of a parent or guardian may not be imputed to a minor.”
Someone who is on Your Side
If you or someone you know has been a victim of childhood sexual abuse or minister sex abuse, the first thing to do is approach a sexual abuse lawyer or a clergy sexual abuse lawyer. Rather than calling anybody or responding to the first ad you see, it is highly recommended that you speak to sexual abuse advocate Samuel Rogatinsky. Samuel Rogatinsky will listen to your circumstances and he will respect your privacy.
Contact sexual abuse lawyer Samuel Rogatinsky at (954) 995-3805 or send an email to samr@sexabuseattorney.org