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.
State Democratic Senator Joe Baldacci, who sponsored a separate law in 2023 that allows victims of child sexual abuse to pursue both civil and criminal lawsuits at any time moving forward, said he's also disappointed by the decision.
"I think we're going to have to come back with some new legislation that tries to address some of their concerns," he said. "But we certainly need to do whatever we can to prosecute these cases and to get some justice for the victims."
Michaell Bigos, an attorney with Berman & Simmons, which represents nearly 100 people affected by the ruling, said he'll now pursue other potential lawsuits related to what he alleges are decades of cover-ups by the church.
In a written statement, Portland Bishop James Ruggieri acknowledged the impact that past abuse has had on survivors' lives.
He said the diocese has investigated sexual abuse claims for more than 30 years, and it "will continue to dedicate resources to examining every claim regardless of the timeline and providing counseling and support services to those who have come forward."
