This Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Coalition Urges Legislature to Give Survivors Time to Come Forward and Prosecutors the Ability to Hold More Traffickers Accountable
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr., today led a coalition of elected officials, advocates, and survivors to call on the New York State legislature to support survivors by eliminating the five-year statute of limitations for Sex Trafficking and Child Sex Trafficking. The coalition included the sponsors of the bill (S349B/A1940A), New York State Senator Cordell Cleare and New York State Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz, as well as NOW-NYC Executive Director Sonia Ossorio, Survivor and Advocate Melanie Thompson of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, First Deputy Commissioner Saloni Sethi of the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, and a broad coalition of survivor-centered advocacy groups and organizations.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr., said: “It is long past time for New York State to eliminate the statute of limitations for sex trafficking and child sex trafficking. Five years to report is simply not enough – which the State recognized when it eliminated the statute of limitations for serious sex crimes two decades ago. I call on the legislature to help us support survivors and prosecute traffickers: pass this critical bill this session. Thank you to the bill’s sponsors, Senator Cleare and Assemblymember Dinowitz, as well as the survivors and advocates who stood with us today, for their persistence, dedication, and leadership.”
State Senator Cordell Cleare said: “I commend District Attorney Alvin Bragg for his incredible focus and tireless dedication to eradicating the vile scourge of human trafficking. Senate Bill 349-B—legislation which I proudly sponsor, would eliminate the criminal statute of limitations for sex trafficking, and extend the window for survivors to file lawsuits—ensuring that effective and lasting prosecution will take place and that survivors will receive our full measure of support and justice!”
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said: “New York State has eliminated the statute of limitations for the most severe sexual crimes in recognition of the fact that survivors may need years to come to terms with their abuse. In 2007, I authored legislation that created the criminal statute of sex trafficking that targets the methods used by traffickers to exploit their victims. Seventeen years later, it is time for my legislation, which would eliminate the criminal statute of limitations for sex trafficking and, like the Child Victims Act and Adult Survivors Act, extend the period in which a civil cause of action may be started, to become law. This legislation would ensure that survivors of the monstrous crime of sex trafficking have the same opportunities for justice as survivors of other sexual offenses.”
Sonia Ossorio, Executive Director of NOW-NYC and Women’s Justice NOW, said: “Survivors of sex trafficking deserve the same access to justice that sex assault survivors have been granted. They deserve their day in court too. A five-year statute of limitations on this horrific crime shocks the conscience. Traffickers are being given immunity. The New York Assembly should move swiftly and join their colleagues in the Senate who repealed the limits on prosecution last year.”
Coalition Against Trafficking in Women’s Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator Melanie Thompson said: “Placing a Statute of Limitations on the crime of sex trafficking is telling survivors like me that we only have 5 years to get over to get over trauma that can be crippling for life. It is inexcusable- and the longer our voices are ignored, the clearer it will be that the assembly doesn’t take this crime seriously and continues to contribute to the problem.”
Cecile Noel, Commissioner, Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, said: “The Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence is committed to supporting survivors of trafficking, many of whom come to us in the hopes that our systems can hold the person who has trafficked them accountable. But all too often, those who suffer long-term trauma related to repeated experiences of victimization, like sex trafficking survivors, cannot access existing legal remedies because they come forward long after the abuse happens. By eliminating the criminal statute of limitations for crimes related to sex trafficking and extending civil statutes, we increase pathways to justice for trafficking survivors. Today we stand with survivors of human trafficking, and our partners District Attorney Alvin Bragg, New York State Senator Cordell Cleare, and Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz to urge passage of this legislation so that trafficking survivors can access legal relief that supports their journey towards healing.”
Liz Roberts, Safe Horizon CEO, said: “Safe Horizon, which led the campaigns to pass the landmark Child Victims Act and Adult Survivors Act, strongly supports A.1940/S.349B, legislation to eliminate the statute of limitations for survivors of sex trafficking in New York State. We know from our work to bring much-needed reform to outdated statutes of limitations for sex crimes that trauma takes time, and survivors should be able to come forward and find justice in courts when they are ready to do so. Safe Horizon applauds State Senator Cordell Cleare and Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz for their leadership on this important issue and we urge the full state legislature to support this legislation and send it to the Governor for her signature as soon as possible.”
Dawn Rowe, Founding President of Girl Vow, Inc., said: “The passage of A1940/S349B and the eradication of the statute of limitations for sex trafficking offenses in our state is not just a necessity; it’s a moral imperative. Every survivor deserves to be unshackled by the unimaginable atrocities. How can we place a timetable on how victims survive harm? Girl Vow calls upon our legislators to act swiftly and decisively to ensure that justice knows no bounds until survivors can seek closure coupled with justice. Girl Vow stands united in our commitment to the protection of sex trafficking survivors. They should not have to survive on their own. We urge The New York State Legislature to eliminate the criminal statute of limitations and extend a lifeline to survivors. It is time we end consequential harm to all survivors.”
Pamela Damon, Executive Director of Not On My Watch, Inc., said: “As Executive Director of Not On My Watch, Inc., I, Pamela Damon, emphatically urge the swift passage of A1940/S349B and the crucial elimination of the statute of limitations for sex trafficking offenses in our state.
Sex trafficking is a heinous crime that leaves lasting scars on survivors, and justice should not be hindered by arbitrary time constraints. A1940/S349B represents a crucial step towards ensuring that survivors of sex trafficking have the opportunity to seek justice, regardless of when the offense occurred. By supporting this legislation, we collectively declare our commitment to eradicating sex trafficking and providing survivors with the justice they rightfully deserve. As we send a powerful message that our community is committed to eradicating this injustice and providing a safer future for all.”
Restore NYC President Ida Mutoigo said: “Restore NYC (represented by myself as President, Ida Mutoigo) would like to stand with the urgent call to pass the proposed bills of A1940/S349B which would remove the statute of limitations for sex trafficking offenses in the state of New York and ensure survivors have sufficient time to present their cases and seek justice that would hold traffickers to account. In our experience of serving about 300 survivors of human trafficking each year, the current statute of limitations of 5 years is an appalling limited amount of time for survivors to have sufficient support and restoration from trauma to ensure their readiness for civil and criminal action that is essential for just and fair litigation. We applaud the work of State Senator Cordell Cleare and Assembly Member Jefferey Dinowitz in pushing this legislation forward.”
Taina Bien-Aimé, Executive Director, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women said: “It is urgent that New York enacts legislation that would eliminate the statute of limitations for certain sex trafficking offenses (A.1940/S.349B), sponsored by Senator Cordell Cleare and Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz. We know it takes a long time for victims even to understand that they are or were trafficked, especially when the vast majority of survivors were sex trafficked as children, often by those charged to care for them. With this legislation, New York can deepen its understanding of the means and patterns of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, the mechanics used by perpetrators, the abuse of vulnerability, and the demand for prostitution that fuels it all. Most importantly, it shows our commitment to supporting survivors and helping them rebuild their lives.”
Hon. Judy Harris Kluger, chief executive officer of Sanctuary for Families, said, “In the commercial sex trade, sexual assault is not just prevalent — it is ubiquitous. It is time for New York State to provide the same legal protections to sex trafficking survivors as other sexual assault survivors. Eliminating the criminal statute of limitations is simply the logical and judicious thing to do.”
Ending the Statute of Limitations for Sex Trafficking
Trauma, fear, and cultural stigmas frequently lead survivors to delay reporting to law enforcement. New York has recognized this issue by eliminating the statutes of limitation for B-felony sexual offenses, including first-degree rape and incest, as well as aggravated sexual abuse, and course of sexual conduct against a child. Similarly, in 2019 New York extended the period in which survivors of child sexual violence can commence a civil suit. This bill – which passed the Senate unanimously in 2023 – would provide sex trafficking survivors the same protections as survivors of other B-felony sex offenses by removing the criminal statute of limitations for Sex Trafficking and Sex Trafficking of a Child.
Learn more in a City & State op-ed written in May 2023 by District Attorney Bragg and State Senator Cleare here
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