“I was proud to support the Child Victims Act and am pleased Gov. Cuomo signed it into law. However, I am sad and angry that we needed to pass this law in the first place because of the horrifying things that brought us to this point. We got here because people in a position of power, whether they were priests, teachers or whoever, abused their position to hurt children. That is something that should never, ever be accepted or tolerated, or swept under the rug.

“While I know this new law cannot take away the scars that have been inflicted on so many individuals and their families, it is my sincere hope that this will bring some sort of recourse and justice to those who have been hurt, and I hope it encourages others not to be afraid to come forward,” said Palmesano.