Bill to end 3 year time limit for survivors of childhood abuse has passed Stage One

A bill to remove the three-year time limit on survivors of childhood abuse seeking civil damages in court has passed its first stage in the Scottish Parliament.

MSPs unanimously backed the Limitation (Childhood Abuse) (Scotland) Bill which, if enacted, will remove the time bar for any cases arising from abuse on or after 26 September 1964.

Legal affairs minister Annabelle Ewing said:

“This bill is about access to justice. It is about acknowledging the unique position of survivors of childhood abuse as children who were betrayed by those they should have been able to trust – recognising the abhorrent nature of the abuse, the vulnerability of the child at the time, and the profound impact of abuse; an impact which lasts well into adulthood and which, itself, prevents people from coming forward.”

 

Image credit: Stinging Eyes, Flickr