FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, January 31, 2025
Contact: Nazneen Ahmed
(919) 716-0060
RALEIGH – Today, the North Carolina Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the SAFE Child Act’s lookback window is constitutional. In McKinney v. Goins, Solicitor General Ryan Park and the Department of Justice defended the legislature’s creation of a two-year period in which adults who were abused as children were able to bring civil actions against their abusers.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson shared the following statement:
“By upholding the SAFE Child Act’s lookback window today, the North Carolina Supreme Court acknowledged what we know to be true: it can take years for people to process the trauma of childhood abuse and victims should have the opportunity to hold their abusers accountable in court. Today’s ruling is also a continued charge to the rest of us to do everything we can to keep our children safe. I’m grateful to Solicitor General Park and the DOJ lawyers who worked tirelessly on this case for years.”
Governor Josh Stein shared the following statement:
“There is nothing more important than keeping kids safe. I am pleased that the courts upheld this crucial part of the SAFE Child Act so that abusers who commit these heinous acts can be held accountable for their actions. People who were abused as children will have the opportunity to face their abusers and seek justice. I am proud of the work my team did to write this law when I was Attorney General. As Governor, I will continue to stand up for survivors of abuse.”
A copy of the court’s opinion is available here.
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