New law removes time limit barrier for child sexual abuse survivors
Survivors of child sexual abuse will no longer have to justify why they waited to bring a civil compensation claim, following a major change to the law.
As of 29 June 2026, the Crime and Policing Act 2026 has removed the time limit for bringing civil claims related to child sexual abuse, recognising the unique challenges faced by survivors.
Now, if the passage of time is raised in civil claims, it is for the defendant to prove that the delay means a fair trial cannot take place. While this will remain a challenge in civil claims, the burden has been taken off survivors to explain why they have waited to pursue a claim.
The old law on time limits
Under the old law, a claimant would normally have three years to bring a civil compensation claim after experiencing sexual abuse. The time would start running from the date of the abuse, or the date of knowledge. If the claimant was under 18 at the time, then time would start running from their 18th birthday. This gave survivors of child sexual abuse until age 21 to pursue a claim without facing legal challenges about the delay.
If a claimant pursued a claim after that period had expired, the defendant could raise the expired time limit as a defence. The claimant would then need to persuade the court to use its discretion to allow the claim to proceed out of time. The court considered certain factors when doing so, one of which was the reason for the delay.
Why delays happen
For the vast majority of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, reaching the stage of even speaking about their experiences can take years, if not decades. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse found that the average time for victims and survivors to disclose sexual abuse is 26 years.
There are many reasons for this, not least that perpetrators of child sexual abuse are adept at securing silence from those they target.
Requiring claimants to explain why they needed more than three years to come forward ignores the reality many survivors live through. In doing so, it added an extra barrier to what is already a daunting process for many who are entitled to compensation.
The new law
Under the new law, no primary limitation period applies to compensation claims for child sexual abuse. Claimants will not be asked to explain their reasons for delay. Instead, a delay will only cause legal problems when the passage of time means a fair trial is impossible. And the burden will fall on defendants to persuade the court this is the case.
While this will remain a challenge in many cases, for example where key evidence is lost to time, the change in the law is a positive step for survivors.
Not only does this change remove a barrier to justice, it marks an important symbolic win. Survivors of child sexual abuse will no longer be asked to explain what ought simply to be understood.
