Source: mainepublic.org 1/28/25
Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court struck down a recent state law that had eliminated the statute of limitations on civil lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse.
The Roman Catholic Bishop of Maine challenged the law after it was sued by dozens of adults who claimed they were abused by clergy members.
By removing the statute of limitations, the 2021 law opened the door to civil lawsuits for child sexual abuse no matter how long ago the alleged abuse occurred.
But the state’s highest court said Tuesday that once a statute of limitations has expired for a claim, that claim can’t be revived. And therefore, the court found that Maine’s law is unconstitutional.
Jessica Gorton of the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault calls the decision heartbreaking for the people trying to hold their abusers accountable.
“They relived some of their most traumatic experiences, and then they were told that legal precedence protecting powerful people is more important than holding those people responsible for the harm they caused,” she said.
Gorton also said the decision is out of step with other court decisions. That’s one reason cited by two justices who dissented from the majority opinion. They also noted that it often takes survivors of child sexual abuse decades to disclose what happened.
Not to downplay the real victims, but unless there’s paperwork, how does one even prove misconduct from the 70s, 80s or 90s? It’s so long ago it seems impossible to know of someone is truly guilty without said items.