After the state this month extended the window to file child sex abuse claims in Circuit Court for a third time, a group of lawyers today plans to encourage more alleged victims to come forward.

Last month, Gov. David Ige signed into law Act 098 (18), which again extended the statute of limitations — this time until 2020 — for victims of child sexual abuse to file lawsuits for assaults that occurred in Hawaii.

Kailua attorney Mark Gallagher and attorneys with the Minnesota law firm of Jeff Anderson & Associates planned today to encourage more alleged victims to file claims.

As of July 1, alleged victims now have another two years to sue alleged assailants or “an institution, agency, firm, business, corporation or other public or private legal entity that owed a duty of care to the victim” according to the law previously known as Senate Bill 2719, SD 1, HD 1, CD 1.

“There is a window that’s going to be open until April 24 of 2020,” said Kailua attorney Mark Gallagher, who estimates that he has represented 70 childhood sex abuse victims since the first window for lawsuits was extended in 2012 to 2014.