Many survivors of sexual abuse don’t come forward because they’re afraid of not being believed. They’ve seen or heard on the news stories of survivors coming forward in trials only for their abuser to be found not guilty. It was a long time ago. There wasn’t enough evidence. There’s no witnesses, etc., etc. But it’s important to appreciate that these stories are almost always about criminal cases, and I can’t stress enough the difference between a criminal case and a sexual abuse civil case.
Generally speaking, a sexual abuse civil lawsuit is much easier to prove, and that’s because of something called a standard of proof. Where in a criminal case you have to prove that the abuse happened beyond all reasonable doubt, if you bring a civil lawsuit over that same abuse, the standard becomes much lower, requiring you to prove that the abuse happened on what’s called a balance of probabilities. In other words, you have to convince a judge that it’s more likely than not that you’re telling the truth about the abuse. And if you meet this standard of proof that you’re likely telling the truth, then you will be entitled to compensation for the resulting harms, even if there exists a fair bit of doubt given the lack of hard evidence that inevitably exists.
Because of this lower standard of proof, many victims of childhood sexual abuse find a civil lawsuit to be a better way of seeking justice for the wrongs done to them. I’ve helped many, many survivors of sexual abuse recover compensation for the very significant harms that I know can result. If you have questions about a possible claim, I would be happy to speak with you free of charge.
