Maryland Supreme Court hears arguments on child sex abuse lawsuits
The Supreme Court of Maryland is considering the constitutionality of a 2023 law that ended the state’s statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits following a report that exposed widespread wrongdoing within the Archdiocese of Baltimore
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Supreme Court of Maryland heard arguments on Tuesday about the constitutionality of a 2023 law that ended the state’s statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits following a report that exposed widespread wrongdoing within the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
The arguments, which lasted several hours and often veered into highly technical legalese, largely focused on the intent of the Maryland legislature when it passed a preceding law in 2017 that said people in Maryland who were sexually abused as children could bring lawsuits up until they turned 38.
Teresa Lancaster, an abuse survivor and an advocate for others, said she was optimistic after what she heard in the courtroom.
“These crimes have harmed many, many people. We deserve our day in court. We deserve justice, and I’m very, very enthusiastic from what I heard today,” Lancaster said outside the courthouse.
