Iowa governor signs measure increasing compensation for Boy Scouts abuse victims
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$0 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/04/2024 (596 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa men who were victims of child sexual molestation while they were in the Boy Scouts of America could get higher legal compensation under a measure lawmakers approved and the governor signed into law Friday.
The legislation, which retroactively waives the statute of limitations for victims filing a civil claim as part of the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy settlement, took effect immediately after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed it.
The Boy Scouts filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020 as it faced hundreds of lawsuits filed by men alleging they had been sexually abused as children by their Scout leaders and volunteers. A $2.46 billion bankruptcy reorganization plan was approved in 2022, after more than 80,000 men filed claims nationwide.
A state’s statute of limitations could decrease the damages that victims receive, according to the fund’s distribution procedures. Under the settlement terms, states had until Friday to extend their statutes of limitations.
“We are facing a clock that is ticking to ensure that they will not be financially penalized because their abuse occurred within the borders of our state,” Sen. Janet Petersen, a Democrat, said Wednesday.
Iowa law requires victims of child sexual abuse to file claims by age 19 or, if older, within four years of realizing a sustained injury was caused by the abuse. The new measure — which applies only to the case against the Boy Scouts of America — allows victims within the Scouts to seek legal action at any time.
It’s unclear how many Iowa victims may now file new claims by aMay 31 deadline.