Sexual Assault Attorneys in Missouri: Your Complete Legal Guide

12 sections 8 min read

For claims arising on or after August 28, 2025, Missouri’s childhood sexual abuse statute, Mo. Rev. Stat. § 537.046, gives a survivor until ten years after turning 21, or three years after discovering that an injury was caused by the abuse, whichever is later; older claims run on the section’s earlier version. That section reaches only the person who committed the abuse: claims against a school, church, or employer fall under other limitation rules. A 2025 amendment voided nondisclosure agreements in these cases but revived nothing. For an adult, assault and battery carry two years, and other injury claims five. This guide covers those rules, the criminal deadlines, points to raise with a lawyer, and six firms that represent survivors in Missouri.

Call 911 right away if you are in danger. The Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence lists a toll-free number, 888-666-1911, and the National Sexual Assault Hotline is 1-800-656-4673.

The text of § 537.046 and the criminal statutes is quoted from CHILD USA’s analysis, which reports checking it against the Revisor’s official text on September 5, 2026; §§ 516.120 and 516.140 are from FindLaw’s text dated January 1, 2025. This is general information about Missouri law and does not evaluate a particular claim.

Claims Against the Abuser: Age 31 or Three Years From Discovery

Section 537.046.2 provides that an action “to recover damages from injury or illness caused by childhood sexual abuse … shall be commenced within ten years of the plaintiff attaining the age of twenty-one or within three years of the date the plaintiff discovers, or reasonably should have discovered, that the injury or illness was caused by childhood sexual abuse, whichever later occurs.”

“Childhood sexual abuse” under § 537.046.1(1) means an act against the plaintiff before age 18 that would have violated listed sections of chapters 566, 568, and 573. Under § 537.046.1(2), “[a] psychological injury or illness need not be accompanied by physical injury or illness.”

Which Version Applies: August 28, 2025

Section 537.046.3 provides: “This section shall apply to any action arising on or after August 28, 2025.” CHILD USA reports that the Revisor records an earlier version, in effect from August 28, 2004, that governs actions arising before that date. A claim arising before August 28, 2025 should be measured against that earlier text with a lawyer.

Nondisclosure Agreements Are Void

Since the 2025 amendment, § 537.046.4 provides: “Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a nondisclosure agreement by any party to a childhood sexual abuse action shall not be judicially enforceable in a dispute involving childhood sexual abuse allegations or claims and shall be void.” A survivor who signed a confidentiality agreement as part of an earlier settlement or employment arrangement should show it to a lawyer.

Schools, Churches, and Employers Are Outside § 537.046

The Revisor prints this annotation beneath the section, as CHILD USA quotes it: “(2016) Section creates a cause of action only against the person who allegedly committed the abuse and does not provide a cause of action against non-perpetrators. State ex rel. Heart of America v. McKenzie, 484 S.W.3d 320 (Mo.).”

A negligence claim against an organization therefore runs on the general limitation period for the tort pleaded, not on the age-31 rule. The general sections, § 516.120 and § 516.140, are set out under “Assaults on Adults” below; which one fits a negligence claim against an organization is the first question to settle with a lawyer.

The 2025 Amendment Looks Forward Only

CHILD USA reports that no Missouri statute has revived expired childhood abuse claims and that the 2025 amendment is “expressly prospective.” A claim already barred under earlier law stays barred unless a lawyer finds a basis in the facts.

Assaults on Adults

Section 537.046 addresses abuse of children. For an adult, two general sections matter. Section 516.140 sets two years for “an action for libel, slander, injurious falsehood, assault, battery, false imprisonment,” among others. Section 516.120(4) sets five years for “any other injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract and not herein otherwise enumerated,” which can matter for a negligence claim against a business or organization. The text quoted here is the FindLaw version dated January 1, 2025. Which section governs depends on the defendant and the legal theory, so an adult survivor should have a lawyer fix the dates early.

Prosecution Under §§ 556.036 and 556.037

Prosecution is the state’s decision. Section 556.037.1 provides: “Notwithstanding the provisions of section 556.036, prosecutions for unlawful sexual offenses involving a person eighteen years of age or under may be commenced at any time.” Under § 556.037.2, these offenses “include, but are not limited to, all offenses for which registration is required under sections 589.400 to 589.425.”

For adult victims, CHILD USA reports that § 556.036.1 allows prosecution at any time for rape in the first degree, forcible rape, sodomy in the first degree, forcible sodomy, attempts of those offenses, and any class A felony. Otherwise § 556.036.2 sets three years for a felony and one year for a misdemeanor. A civil claim does not depend on any prosecution.

Points to Raise With a Missouri Lawyer

The answer turns on who the defendant is and when the claim arose. Gather your date of birth, the dates of the abuse, when you connected any injury to it, and the names of every organization involved, and then ask:

  1. Against the abuser, when do the age-31 date and the three-year discovery date fall under § 537.046.2?
  2. Did the action arise before or after August 28, 2025, and what does the earlier version require?
  3. Against an organization, which tort will be pleaded and what limitation period governs it?
  4. For an adult assault, which Missouri limitation period applies?
  5. Is there a confidentiality agreement that § 537.046.4 now makes void?
  6. Does the firm represent the Archdiocese of St. Louis, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, a residential program, or an insurer that may be a defendant?

Missouri Sexual Assault Attorneys

Kayla’s Survivors

Kayla’s Survivors is a woman and survivor-led sexual abuse law firm headquartered in St. Louis that represents survivors harmed by people in positions of power – doctors, clergy, coaches, therapists, staff at teen programs, juvenile facilities, and boarding schools. The firm describes its mission as uncovering what institutions tried to hide and holding responsible parties accountable, and it has helped survivors recover nearly $1 billion in compensation nationally. Kayla’s Survivors is actively pursuing claims against multiple Missouri residential and behavioral health facilities including Shelterwood Academy, Piney Ridge Center, Master’s Ranch, Heartland Behavioral Health, Circle of Hope, Agape Boarding School, and Change Academy. The firm handles cases throughout Missouri and nationally on contingency. Free confidential consultation.

Dollar Burns Becker & Hershewe

Dollar Burns Becker & Hershewe is a Kansas City plaintiff’s firm with a dedicated sexual assault practice led by partners Jill Kanatzar and Lauren Dollar, both former Assistant Prosecutors in Jackson County, Missouri. Jill Kanatzar prosecuted forcible rape, sodomy, statutory rape, and sexual assault cases while serving the state, including cases involving survivors ranging from an 89-year-old rape victim to a 9-month-old child. Lauren Dollar prosecuted perpetrators who abused vulnerable individuals and advocated for child victims. Together, they bring both criminal-prosecution insight and civil litigation skill to survivor representation, enabling them to navigate the interplay between criminal and civil proceedings strategically. The firm pursues claims against both individual perpetrators and institutions and represents survivors in civil court seeking compensatory and punitive damages. Free consultation. Contingency fee basis.

Monsees & Mayer, P.C.

Monsees & Mayer is a Missouri and Kansas personal injury firm with a trauma-informed sexual abuse practice. The entire office is trained in trauma-informed approaches to client service. The firm has offices in Kansas City and Springfield and routinely travels to meet clients across both states. They handle claims against individual abusers and institutional defendants, assist with Missouri’s SOL framework and discovery rule analysis, and pursue compensation for therapy, medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Free consultation. Contingency fee basis.

Peterson & Associates, P.C.

Peterson & Associates is a Kansas City personal injury firm that has recovered over half a billion dollars for clients and handles civil sexual assault cases across Missouri and Kansas. The firm pursues claims involving direct perpetrator liability, premises liability, negligent security, negligent hiring and supervision, and employer liability for workplace assault. They handle cases at hotels, schools, universities, healthcare facilities, churches, and other institutional settings. Free consultation. Contingency fee basis.

DRZ Law Firm

DRZ Law Firm has been a civil sexual assault litigation firm in Kansas City since 2013, with award-winning trial attorneys who have secured millions in settlements and verdicts for sexual assault survivors. The firm pursues claims against abusers and institutions, including cases involving employer liability, organizational liability, and negligent supervision. Punitive damages are actively pursued in cases involving deliberate or flagrant disregard for the safety of others under Missouri law. Free consultation. Contingency fee basis.

Levy Konigsberg LLP (Missouri Practice)

Levy Konigsberg is a national institutional sexual abuse firm with over $3 billion in survivor compensation recovered nationally. The firm handles Missouri clergy abuse, school abuse, and other institutional misconduct claims and has been active in Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and Archdiocese of St. Louis investigations. Free confidential consultation. Contingency fee basis.

Frequently Asked Questions

I was abused at 14 and I am now 35. Can I still sue the abuser?

Possibly. Section 537.046.2, as amended in 2025, allows three years from when you discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, that an injury was caused by the abuse, even after age 31. Because your claim arose before August 28, 2025, the section’s earlier version governs it, and a lawyer should check how that version treats discovery.

Does the age-31 rule apply to a lawsuit against the church or school?

No. The Revisor’s annotation, citing State ex rel. Heart of America v. McKenzie (2016), says § 537.046 provides a cause of action only against the person who committed the abuse.

Does a criminal conviction give me extra time to sue?

Neither § 537.046 nor CHILD USA’s review of Missouri law describes such a rule, so it should not be relied on without a lawyer confirming a specific statute.

Can abuse of a 17-year-old still be prosecuted years later?

Yes. Section 556.037.1 allows prosecution of unlawful sexual offenses involving a person eighteen or under at any time.

Support and Reporting Lines

  • Emergency: 911
  • Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (toll-free): 888-666-1911
  • National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673

Sources