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Under Oregon Law, What Constitutes Sexual Abuse?
Unwanted sexual activity imposed on someone without that person’s consent constitutes sexual abuse. If you are a survivor of sexual abuse in Oregon, you should arrange to speak with a Beaverton sexual abuse lawyer about your case and your rights as quickly as possible.
Abusers use physical force, coercion, threats, and violence to commit sexual abuse and keep victims silent. Victims often know their abusers personally. Sexual abuse may be a single incident, or it may be part of an ongoing domestic violence or human trafficking situation.
When sexual abuse is institutional, someone in a position of authority has abused a person in the institution’s care. The institution’s leaders may be partially at fault and, therefore, may be liable or partially liable for the victim’s damages.
What Are the Statistics? What Are the Effects of Sexual Abuse?
According to FBI statistics, on an average day, 559 sex offenses are reported to law enforcement agencies in the United States. More than 85 percent of the alleged abuse victims are females, while more than 47 percent of the alleged victims are ages eleven through twenty.
More than 91 percent of alleged sexual abusers are males. Alaska, Utah, and Montana report the highest rates of sexual abuse. As of 2025, Oregon ranks 18th among the fifty states. Survivors of sexual abuse may suffer from clinical depression or symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The impact of sexual abuse and the link between sexual abuse and mental health is different for every sexual abuse survivor. Not all abuse survivors suffer ongoing emotional anguish, but researchers regularly find a strong link between long-term mental health issues and sexual abuse.
What Steps Should Abuse Victims Take?
If you are a sexual abuse survivor in Oregon and you have not sought a counselor’s help, please do so at once. It is imperative to begin the healing process as quickly as possible. You also have these legal options: pursuing a criminal prosecution and bringing a sexual abuse lawsuit.
If you report a sexual abuse incident or situation to the police, the abuser could receive a criminal conviction and a prison sentence. If police investigators find evidence that supports your sexual abuse claim, they will forward that evidence to an Oregon prosecutor.
After examining the evidence, a prosecutor may or may not decide to charge the alleged abuser. However, if you were abused years ago, the only evidence may be your word against the abuser’s, and a conviction – proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt – may be impossible.
Should You Bring a Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?
Prevailing with a sexual abuse lawsuit – with an Oregon attorney’s help – is not as difficult as winning a criminal conviction. If an abuse survivor’s lawsuit prevails, the victim may recover financial compensation for treatment costs, counseling fees, and related damages.
To bring a sexual abuse lawsuit in an Oregon civil court, you will need the services and advice of a Beaverton sexual abuse attorney, but you will not pay an attorney’s fee until your compensation is recovered. It costs nothing to learn more and have an attorney review your case.
Is There a Deadline for Sexual Abuse Lawsuits?
Under current Oregon law, childhood sexual abuse survivors must file claims by age 40 or within five years of connecting the abuse to the harm they have suffered – whichever is later. Adult survivors have five years from the time they connect the abuse to the harm they’ve suffered.
As of June 2025, House Bill 3582, which would remove the statute of limitations in civil sexual abuse cases, has been passed unanimously by the Oregon House of Representatives and is under consideration by the Oregon Senate.
House Bill 3582 would not eliminate the statute of limitations for the criminal prosecution of alleged sexual abusers. Those deadlines vary in Oregon but generally range from four to twenty years after the date of the alleged abuse.
What is an Abuse Survivor’s Best Option?
Sexual abuse survivors may pursue justice in Oregon’s criminal courts, through the civil courts, or both. However, if the sexual abuse occurred years ago, it may be difficult or impossible to gather important evidence, locate key witnesses, and win justice.
If the abuser is convicted in a criminal proceeding, that conviction may be offered as evidence in a civil trial. However, if the abuser is prosecuted in a criminal court and acquitted, winning a civil sexual abuse lawsuit may become more difficult.
Your best option is to discuss your case – before taking any other action – with a Beaverton sexual abuse lawyer who can examine the details of your claim and provide you with personalized advice regarding the best way to proceed legally.
What Else Should Sexual Abuse Survivors Know?
No one needs or deserves justice more than a sexual abuse survivor. In Oregon, justice begins by discussing your case with a Beaverton sexual abuse attorney as quickly as possible. It is essential to start identifying witnesses and gathering evidence before more time goes by.
If you are a sexual abuse survivor in Oregon, exercise your rights and speak to a sexual abuse attorney at Galm Law about recovering the compensation you are entitled to and pursuing justice under Oregon law. You will owe no attorney’s fee until Galm Law recovers your compensation.
Galm Law Offers Abuse Survivors Experienced Representation
If you have been victimized by sexual abuse in Oregon, whether that abuse occurred when you were a child or an adult, make the call and schedule a consultation as soon as you can to discuss your case with attorney Paul Galm at Galm Law.
For more than twenty years, Oregon attorney Paul Galm has represented the victims of sexual abuse in Portland, Beaverton, and throughout Oregon. He has recovered more than $20 million for his personal injury and sexual abuse clients.
Attorney Paul Galm holds abusers and institutions accountable for sexual abuse. When you are ready to come forward with your sexual abuse claim, call Galm Law at 971-314-6399 (in Portland) or 971-405-6660 (in Beaverton) to schedule your first free legal consultation.
