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Sean “Diddy” Combs’ recent acquittal on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges has reignited debate about how the justice system treats sexual assault survivors, and whether temporary windows for filing civil claims are enough, CNN reported yesterday. While Combs was ultimately cleared of the most serious criminal charges, his accuser, Cassie Ventura, had already secured a reported $20 million civil settlement after filing her lawsuit just before New York’s Adult Survivors Act expired in late 2023.
The act, which opened a one-year “lookback window” for adult survivors to file lawsuits regardless of when the abuse occurred, was part of a growing national effort to remove time-based barriers to justice. But as advocates warn, those windows are closing fast—and with them, many survivors’ hopes for legal accountability.
A Limited Opportunity
Ventura’s civil claim was filed in November 2023—just days before New York’s temporary lookback window for adult survivors closed. The window was created under the Adult Survivors Act (ASA), passed in 2022, and modeled after the 2019 Child Victims Act (CVA), which temporarily suspended the statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. During the CVA’s two-year period, nearly 11,000 civil cases were filed.
Ventura’s decision to file before the deadline was significant. It allowed her to bring long-hidden allegations to light, including claims of sexual and physical abuse during her years-long relationship with Combs. One of the key reasons Combs avoided conviction on the more serious charges, observers note, is precisely because Ventura was in a romantic relationship with him at the time. Her ongoing involvement, a common trauma response, may have undermined her credibility in the eyes of some jurors, a reminder of the importance of reporting abuse early, before legal or emotional entanglements cloud the case.
Temporary Fixes, Permanent Problems
New York isn’t the only state to enact lookback laws. California has passed similar windows for both child and adult survivors. Other states like Kentucky, Virginia, and Maryland have gone further, abolishing statutes of limitations for felony sex crimes altogether. But most of the country still adheres to rigid time constraints, and even in progressive states, new bills aimed at expanding or eliminating deadlines often stall.
Advocates argue that statutes of limitations fail to reflect the psychological toll of sexual trauma. Survivors often delay disclosure for years—sometimes decades—due to fear, shame, or lack of support. Even when survivors do come forward, legal technicalities can get in the way. In New York, for example, claims against state-run institutions like prisons must be filed in the Court of Claims with exact details about dates and locations—requirements that have led to case dismissals for many formerly incarcerated women.
A plaintiff’s attorney noted that the reality of these restrictions is particularly chilling given that the vast majority of ASA claims were filed by women who endured sexual violence while behind bars.
Intoxication Loopholes and Legislative Stagnation
Beyond time limits, other legal hurdles remain. So-called “intoxication loopholes” exist in nearly half of U.S. states, allowing prosecutors to dismiss sexual assault cases if the survivor was voluntarily intoxicated—even if they were incapable of consent. Texas recently closed this loophole with new legislation expanding the definition of consent. New York attempted to follow suit this year, but the bill failed to advance.
One survivor-turned-advocate, who was assaulted after being drugged at a workplace event in 2020, told CNN she was shocked to discover her case might not be prosecutable because she had voluntarily consumed alcohol. Despite surveillance footage and a clear timeline, she was told by authorities that “drunk consent is still consent.” She returned to work in the same office for three more years.
Her story, like Ventura’s, highlights the persistent disconnect between survivors’ experiences and what the legal system is prepared to address.
What’s Next for Survivors’ Rights?
Some advocates fear that public momentum around #MeToo is fading and that legislative willpower is being replaced by institutional inertia. One survivor advocate lamented the “backlash” against efforts to hold powerful figures accountable, pointing to high-profile acquittals and public fatigue as signs of regression.
Still, others say it’s not over. Survivors like Ventura have already helped spark national conversations and policy reform. A plaintiff’s attorney said Ventura had the option to quietly settle and sign a nondisclosure agreement but chose instead to sue publicly and “shine a light” on abuse—an act of bravery with long-term consequences.
The trial may be over, but the reckoning it triggered isn’t going away. As one advocate put it, “You can’t unring this bell.”
