It is difficult and painful to imagine seeking justice as a survivor of child sexual abuse after decades of silence, only to be met with the devastating news that nothing could be done to hold the abuser accountable. For countless Mainers, this was a reality until recently.

When coming forward, many were met with statements like, “You waited too long,” “We’re sorry, but too much time has passed” and “Why didn’t you bring this up sooner?”

Thankfully, in 2021, the Maine Legislature passed into law L.D. 589, which eliminated the statute of limitations for survivors to file civil lawsuits against their abusers. Before this bill became law, the statute of limitations in Maine frequently prevented survivors who experienced abuse as children before the mid-1990s from being able to take this action. Now survivors can seek justice through the courts, regardless of when the abuse occurred. This ensures that all survivors who wish to come forward to seek justice and legal action have the right to do so. It is an important step in furthering protections for survivors in Maine.

Child sexual abuse is a significant but preventable adverse childhood experience and public health problem. Although estimates vary across studies, data indicates that about one in four girls and one in 13 boys experience sexual abuse at some point in childhood. The abuse is perpetrated by someone the child or their family knows in 91% of cases.

Countless adults have yet to tell anyone that they were sexually abused as a child – not their partners, not their friends, not their family members and not even their therapists. The reasons folks do not disclose vary; however, many survivors of sexual abuse often feel shame, fear, uncertainty and guilt, and often avoid having to relive the pain and emotional trauma evoked by these events.

Developmentally, children simply do not have the emotional and cognitive skills to process such traumatic experiences. As a result, many children either wait to report or never report child sexual abuse, even into adulthood. The average age of disclosure of child sexual abuse in the U.S. is 52.

The impact of childhood sexual abuse varies from person to person and from case to case. Overall, it can affect how a person thinks, acts and feels over a lifetime, resulting in short- and long-term physical, mental and emotional health consequences. For example, women who experienced familial abuse reported higher levels of depression and anxiety. Adult survivors can carry long-term feelings of guilt and self-blame, which has adverse implications on adult relationships. Higher rates of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease are additional long-term health implications of child sexual abuse.

There are also economic impacts. The total lifetime economic burden of child sexual abuse in the United States in 2015 was estimated to be about $9.3 billion. Because of underreporting, this is likely an underestimate of the true impact of the problem.

We cannot, nor would we presume to speak for every survivor – we can only speak for ourselves. It has taken both of us many years as adults to process the atrocities we experienced as children. We know that we can never change what happened to us, but we have committed to doing our best to make things better for others and hopefully prevent other children from having to endure similar abuse.

For one of us, that meant becoming a social worker and working to effect systemic change and, in this case, to give voice to survivors. For the other, that meant becoming a lifelong advocate for justice for survivors, fighting for their rights and ensuring that opportunities to seek justice remain open to those who need it and are ready to pursue it.

We want fellow survivors to hear this: You are not defined by your abuse. You deserve to be heard and believed. You deserve justice. And while justice may look different for every individual, Mainers of every age can now come forward when they are ready, if that is the path they choose to take.

Whether it occurred decades ago or more recently, Maine’s sexual assault support advocates stand ready to listen and give you support. The confidential helpline is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days per week, and can be reached by calling 1-800-871-7741. You can also find your local sexual assault support center here.