Victims’ lawyer Jordan Merson says that even the women who were older than 18 when they were allegedly abused by Epstein are still allowed to sue because the criminal case filed against the multi-millionaire financier opened up the statute of limitation to them.
Executors of Jeffrey Epstein’s estate want a lawsuit filed under the Child Victims Act to be tossed — in part because some of the victims were adults when the alleged abuse occurred, according to new court papers.
The galling filing from the Epstein estate concerns nine women who sued the estate in December, claiming the now-dead pedophile sexually abused them between the years of 1985 and 2007.
The lawsuit includes plaintiffs who say they were as young as 13 at the time of the abuse.
On Friday, executors Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn filed papers asking a judge to throw the case out because “the extremely thin allegations asserted by all of the Plaintiffs fail to state a claim and are time-barred in any event as each of these assaults alleged to have been committed by Jeffrey E. Epstein… now deceased, against these Plaintiffs occurred between 13 and 35 years ago.”
The suit was filed under the Child Victims Act which opens a one-year look-back window for people who were victims of child abuse to bring claims that have since passed outside of the statute of limitations.
But, “six of the nine plaintiffs…were over the age of eighteen when the alleged offenses occurred,” Indyke and Kahn’s lawyer, Matthew Aaronson wrote in court papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Victims’ lawyer Jordan Merson says that even the women who were older than 18 when they were allegedly abused by Epstein are still allowed to sue because the criminal case filed against the multi-millionaire financier opened up the statute of limitation to them.
The Epstein estate executors call into question the validity of the entire CVA, which was passed by New York lawmakers last year and went into effect in August, in addition to arguing that the women who were underage at the time don’t have a case.
“The CVA is unconstitutional and fails to revive any of Plaintiffs’ claims,” the court papers claim.
“It is disconcerting that the Estate is attempting to use antiquated state laws to try to shirk its responsibilities to these sexual assault victims,” Merson said.
“While none of their arguments have a scintilla of merit, the fact they are even trying to do this confirms that further statute of limitation reform is needed by the NY State legislature.”
The 66-year-old convicted pedophile hanged himself in a Lower Manhattan lockup while he was awaiting trial on charges of sex-trafficking.
Original story found here.
