Maryland Supreme Court upholds Child Victims Act, enabling lawsuits

The Maryland Supreme Court ruled that the Child Victims Act of 2023 is constitutional, allowing survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file lawsuits without a statute of limitations. This decision, which came in a 4-3 vote, overturns the previous 2017 law that limited victims' ability to sue by imposing a cutoff age of 38. The ruling follows a comprehensive investigation into abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore and empowers thousands of survivors to seek justice against various institutions, including schools and churches. Legal experts and advocates heralded the ruling as a historic victory, emphasizing the importance of giving survivors a platform to confront their abusers, even decades later. The law's implementation has led to a surge in lawsuits, including those against the state for abuse in juvenile detention centers. The dissenting justices raised concerns about the implications for non-perpetrator defendants who may be unfairly exposed to litigation due to the retroactive nature of the law.