In California anyone can bring a lawsuit if her or she has been sexually abused by another person. This would include both genders, adults and children. Sexual abuse cases can involve a child molested by an adult (the case can be brought while the child is still a minor by a guardian or sometimes, if the statute of limitations has not run, by an adult who had been molested as a child), a child molested by another child, and an adult sexually abused another adult. Again, the gender of the perpetrator and victim is irrelevant
There are both criminal and civil statutes prohibiting sexual abuse and if a plaintiff can prove a violation of either a criminal or a civil statute, they are entitled to recover monetary damages.
The spouse of the injured plaintiff can also bring their own lawsuit for loss of consortium damages; that is, damages for the loss of society, comfort and care of the injured plaintiff. See the section on Damages in this article.
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